The Pensacola journal. (Pensacola, Fla.) 1898-1985, 1909-01-26
Will They Not Prove
Undesirable Citizens?

The Journal has been looking for
an outburst of protest from South
Florida on account of the proposed
settlement of five thousand South of
Italy families-sOme twenty thousand
lpersons-in Manatee county as pro-
posed by the Duke of Litta who owns
much property in the land of the Sea
Cow. But, so far, all has been Sc
rene, and Manatee seems to look
upon this doubling of its population
with an alien people with extreme
composuTe. The following, however,
from the Manufacturers Record may
prove of interest, not only to South
FIoridians but to the people of the
state generally;
1t is hoped that the report that the
earthquake in Sicily will be made the
occasion for an attempt to coloniZe
Sicilians in Florida by wholesale is
incorrect. If such a thing is seriously
contemplated, it is hoped that there
may be a successful effort to prevent
its contamination. There is no doubt
that enormous pressure, diplomatic,
political and other, will be brought to
DGdI upon the Ou1lIu STATES ROAeFu-
ment to further the scheme. For five
or six years there has been a persis-
tent work in this country by repre-
sentatives of Italy, supplemented by
the material interests of immigrant
carrying transatlantic steamship COM
panieS, to flood the South with ''Ital-
ian" immigrants, under the pTetext of
helping the South to tighten its labor
problem and to speed its develop
ment. More than one Southern"
convention has been f1oated by the
aggregation of interests concerned
about the South only as a means to
their end. But there are Italians and
Italians. Those of Northern Italy
would make most desirable additions
to the population of the South. Their
qualities were especially emphasized
by MT. Hugh McRaa of Wilmington
in his recent address on immigration
to the South. made before the North
Carolina Society of New York. Mr.
McRae spoke from experience with
Italians in colonies which he has in
augurated in North Carolina. and he
quoted Senator Tillman of South
Carolina to the effect that, while the
people of Southern Italy whom he
had seen are not of the type the
South would like to have, he felt sure
that If We could get any of the
Northern Italians into the Southern
States they would make good citi-
Zens." But Sicilians, and not North
ern Italians, constitute the great bulk
of Italian immigration to this coun-
try. 1t is only necessary to recall eff
forts of the Italian Government to
promote their immigration to the
United States for men of Judgment
to question the advisability of well
coming them here. This, of course.
applies only to the great mass of such
and not to individual
Sicilians, who are just as desirable
as Northern Italians and who have
come to this country because they
were ambitious to avail themselves
of its opportunities and not because
their own governments desired to be
relieved of them. Philanthropy in
behalf of the Sicilian earthquake suf-
fereTs would take its best form in
supporting the sufferers on their ma
tive soil 1t would make a grave
mistake in encouraging their 'migra-
ton in dTOveS to this country
Anyone who has studied the his
tory of immigration into the United
States and has taken note of the eff
feet of large aggregations of different
in sections which they
have helped to settle, will admit that
there is much truth in what the Rec
ord has to say. The question is. will
Manatee county or South Florida be
able to assimilate such a large num-
Der of people known to possess
antagonistic to Amer
lean sentiment and Americans man
ners and convert them into good citi-
zens? Many of these Italians may be
worthy souls, sensible withaI and
quickly amenable to new environ
ment; but it is to be feared that the
of them will be found de-
cidedly undesirable citizens" who
viii cause more or less trouble. hard
feeling and contention.
An Old But Just Cause