The herald and news. [volume] (Newberry S.C.) 1903-1937, 1907-10-25
AGAINST IMMIGRATION.
Figures Show Tide Of Europeans is
Increasing Each Year-Danger in
The Large American Cities is AL
ready Apparent-This Expert
Thinks South Should Be Satisfied.

In the city yesterday morning says
the Greenville News. Jetween trains
on his way back to Washington af-
ter trip down south. Mr. Patten
as perhaps one Of the best informed
students on the immigration question.
For number cf years lie has been
/secretary Of the Restriction League
which was recently organized by
som" public spirited men like Owen
WlSter, James Bronson tnolds,
John Fiswe and others for The pur-
pose Of securing legislation that
would sift out the undesirables.
To a representative of the New, Mr..
Patten said:
u have just come from .Mississip-
-pi, Alabama and Georgia and I am
Wc1y glad to say that I have not heard
much else talked on the trains, at
aotels and in public places except
fifteen cent cotton, immigration re-
:stEchon and farmers unions. Never
3nas there been such an awakening to
t5he immigration evils as at present.
It Is certainly high time. Last year
1,2S5,349. aliens entered the United
States. This was an increase Of IL
per cent over the previous years, L.
100,735. Next year will see a still
larger influx unless something is
done to dam the inpouring flood. Just
think! Last year there came to this
country more immigrants than there
are people in any southern city or
il any one Of sixteen southern states
and territories! And from parts and
sections OF Europe which a few years
ago sent US no immigrants!
f'1t is LOT so much the quantity as
xhe quality which alarms all thought
full students of'the immigration pro-
blem. It IS certainly true that a mil
lion aliens is sufficient to over tax
Uncle Sans assimilating powers,
since 80 per cent Of the multitude
settles down in the big cities of six
northern states, but when one consid-
ers tt.t,: nine-tenths Of this vast army
.of invaders is Of a distinct alien race
and has race traits, characteristics
and tendencies as foreign, and every
whit as incompatible and unassimil-
atlng as the negro, the menace BE-
comes all the more alarming.
"With regard to the character of
Ills new immigration from southeast
Europe and Western Asia let me
squote what the late Commissioner Of
immigration at New York City,, Mr..
William said in his last annual report:
~ |The present laws do not reach a
large body of immigrants who are
generally undesirable, Because unin
telligent, of low vitality, Of poor ply
slque. able to perform only the cheap
est kind Of labor, desirous of settling
almost exclusively in the cities. by
their competition tending to reduce
1he standard of living of the American
wage worker, and untitled either
mentally or morally for good citiz-
<ensaip. It would be quite impossi-
BILE to accurately state what proper
ton Of last years immigration should
be classified as undesirable. believe
that at least 100000 came here (of
the 63l, ,6S5 that entered through Ellis
1slani) who although they may be
able to earn living, yet are not
wanted, will be Of no benefit to the
country, and will, on the contrary be
"a detriment because their presence
will tend to lower our standards; and
f these same persons could have
been induced to stay at home, nobody,
not even those clamoring for more
Tabor would nave missed them. Their
coming has been a benefit chiefly, if
not only, y the foreign transporta-
ton companies which brought them
here
''Here is a similar expert opinion.
About year ago Mavor Mcclellan
~directed DR.. DARLINGTON, President Of
the n. Y. Board Of Health to investi-
gate the pushcart nuisance. At the
conclusion of the investigation the
doctor said among other things: I
have heard the assertion that immi-
grafton is necessary to carry on pub
lie works. to build railroads, to dig
canals and the like. But the present
SnEnierants now coming over do not
<eome for that purpose and will not do