The mirror. (Stillwater, Minn.) 1894-1925, 1905-01-19
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Paper Read Before the Cha,tduqud Circle.
TIME subject of immigration ii

THE subject of immigration is (
always open to discussion. 1t
has Deen debated by the most
learned men of the country,
and from time to time, the laws regu
lating it have been changed and still
there seems to be something wrong.
AS general thing, people are more
apt to take the restriction side" of the
question:, thereby tending to make it
a One-sided affair, the main reason for
which, is that it is easier and more
convenient to lay blame for the evils
of this country to the foreigner, than
to show that such is not the case.
1t is an accepted and established
fact that European poverty-stricken,
illiterate people find opportunity
here where they could not in Europe,
and because so many do so, the advo-
Gates of immigration restriction, IN
their eagerness to advance theory |
of some kind, claim that the only way
of reducing crime and raising the
standard of society is to exclude these
classes and natiOnalities. Every evil
is, directly or indirectly, laid to the
foreign population. Statistics are
scattered broadcast showing the rela-
tive per cent of crime for each nation
ality, and those that are unfortunate
enough to have large number of
crimes charged to them are held in
contempt and put on the list of "unde-
sired" They, have argued it SO long
that they really believe that the for
eigners who come here are the ones
who are too wicked to be tolerated in
their own country; or, in other words,
that the United States is being made
a dumping ground for Europe, and
l don't wonder but some think that if
high stone wall was built around the
United States and all the foreigners
deported, this country now so infested
with European criminals" would be-
come veritable heaven; no vice, no
crime, no evils to contend with as we
have now but all would be tranquility;
peace officers would be done away
with; lawyers and judges would wait
in vain for clients, and finally, jails and
prisons, now so necessary, would be
torn down to make room for other in
stitutions to be built for the Puritans
that would then be the only inhabit-
ants of this land of the Free If
foreigners are so prone to commit
crime, something should be done to
teach them higher ideals. Instead of
doing that, he is no sooner landed here
than he is the easy victim of the man
with gold brick or the one who picks
his pockets of the few dollars he had
intended to use to good advantage
Such being his first introduction to
American ways, it is no wonder that
he resorts to like methods of gaining
an easy living; if he is successful, well
and good, and if not, he is branded "a
criminal from Europe"
We seem to forget that we are
waging the same war that the Ameri
can Indians did in days gone by. We
may say that conditions have changed
since then. In some respects they
have, but not in regard to immigration
At that time the Indians had fret
country-they were free to come anc
60, as was their habit; plenty of every
thing and more to spare, but they wer'
not willing to move back and allow tn
foreigners to share with them. Toda.
we have the same feeling that tn
Indians had four hundred years ag'
and until recent years. The ''unde
sired" immigrants won the first roun'
and have good chance to get the fina
decision.
Suppose, for instance, that th
immigration into Canada from thi
country should be stopped by tina
country. What would be the feeling O
this side of the line? American prid
would be struck below the belt. Still
Canada, with her good judgmen
welcomes all that come and looks fo
more of these same people we wish t
keep out.
There is no objection to an imm
grant provided he can show plenty