Perth Amboy evening news., 1907-02-11
TIMELY SERMONS IN
TWO LOCAL PULPITS.
immigration the Subject Of Rev.
James H. MOTthTup at First
PRESBYTERIAN Church.

Rev. James H. Northrup delivered
special sermon on immigration"
in the First Presbyterian Church last
night and, after tracing the origin of
the Immigrant" to the Bible, spoke
on the modern phase of the subject.
Mr.. Northrup had made a careful
study of the subject and in order that
he might become more acquainted
with the way the immigrants are
transported to this country, he visited
Ellis Island last Thursday where he
conferred wiah Commissioner Watch
ON, who is official in charge there.
The text for the sermon was taken
from Genesis xii, l. Now the Lord
said unto Abraham, get thee out of
thy country and from thy kindred,
and from thy fathers house, into a
land that l will show thee" ''Abra-
ham was driven from his fathers
house." continued Mr.. Northrup.
"and became wanderer on the face
of the earth in other words man
with no home, an emigrant."
Mr.. Northrup also interpreted the
word Hebrew as meaning immigrant.
Immigration is one of the greatest
problems yet to be solved" said Mr.,
Northrup, "and IL is the opinion of
many that the foreigners should not
be allowed to come into this country,
as there are enough here now" He
compared immigration with eating
and said that we should only allow
those mat we can assimilate; in other
words, we should not eat any more
than we can assimilate.
Mr.. Northrup said that he had
watched the immigrants landing at
South Ferry in New York and said
that the poor people had the appear
ance of hunted animals. "Place your
self in a steamship with improper
food, poor sleeping accommodations
and seasickness. and see If you would
not also have the same appearance. F"
Mr. Northrup also spoke on the
slums and attacked the tenement
house authorities who allow hundreds
of families to live in filth and squal-
or. IF the commissioners were fore
ed to do their duty properly, there
would be no slums.- as / know of a
number of cities where slums do not
exist"
Parochial schools were opposed by
Mr.. Northrup, who said that they
should be abolished, and that the
children of immigrants should be
taught the English language in the
American schools
Reasons for Great Influx.
"The reasons why the immigrants
come to this country" continued Mr..
Northrup, "are as follows: First, the
attractions of America; second, that
they are driven from home by Their
own governments, although some are
not; third, the alluring offer of the
steamship companies. who have
agents throughout Europe, telling OF
the wealth to be gained in this coun-
try and Offering them low rates for
transportation. The steamship COM
panies, fearing that some of their
steerage passengers will not be ad-
mitted to this country, compel the ig-
norant foreigner to pay two passages
on the condition that If they are al
lowed to land in America one of the
fares will be returned. They do this
to insure themselves, for If foreign
er failed to pass the examination at
Ellis Island, they might have to car
ry him back for nothing"
The following statistics show how
rapidly the country is being popu-
lated with foreigners: In 1906 1,1O0,-
600 came to this country; in 1906,
100000, and in 1904, 100000.
This may seem alarming" said Mr..
Northrup, but the numbers fiuctuate.
In 1882, 7SS,00 came here, and for
number of years the percentage de-