New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1912-10-12
HARDLY THE SAME PERSON

The versatile, double-actlon historian
and statesman who is now running Ior
President on the Democratic ticket out
did himself in Chicago when he opened
his heart in testimony to the virtues OF
the Italian, Polish and Hungarian ele-
ments In the Windy Oity's population.
The vote of these elements counts LII
Illinois. and Candidate Wilson reallzes
that fact even If Historian wilson
carelessly overlooked 1t From Inc
Evening Posts" special correspondent
account of the Governors efforts 10
correct the false impressions when
"haye been spread abroad in the past
..of his attitude toward European I'M
migrants" we Gull this choice seiee-
ton:
AS reflect upon the great bodles 0.
people that have come 10 tiiis So a,
tbsir hearts. not only the great irish
naonle. but the great liberty-loVlns
man and women from every civilized
country on the globe, the great people
az uberty-loving Poland, where 50
much blood has been spent IN the
cause of human rights, the anclent
italian people, whose love OF lperty
runs back 10 the days OF the roman
Republic; the great Slavic people, tne
great peoples out of SICILY, the sr tSo
neonles from every quarter OF tne
qlobe who have come to America, IN
order 10 be free, l reflect upon TINS
question: What did they come to be
freed from?
1t was very handsome Of Mr.. VIII
son to indulge in that polite reflection.
Yet If the representatives Of 1.-The great
people of liberty-loying Poland OF
1.-THE ancient italian people" of "the
great Slavic people" and Of the great
peoples out Of Sicily" also reflect a
little they must wonder how 1t hap
pened that an historian, not then run
ming for office, should have thus de-
scribed the influx into the United
States of their own kith and kin, when
immigration from Poland, Italy and
Hungary was just beginning to reach
its flood:
But now there came multitudes OF
men ofcthe lowest class from the south
out of. Hungary and Poland, men out
of the ranks where there was neither
skill nor energy nor any initiative OF
quick intelligence; and they came IN
numbers which increased from year TO
wear, as If the countries of the south
of Europe were disburdening them
selves of the more sordid and hapless
elements Of their population, the men
whose standards of life and work were
such as American workmen had never
dreamed of hitherto . The UNI
likely fellows who came in at the
Eastern ports were tolerated because
they susurped no place but the very
lowest in the scale of labor.
At that time Mr.. Wilson rated the
Poles, Italians and Hungarlans. per-
mitted to enter at the Eastern ports, as
even less desirable additions to our
population than the Chinese, excluded
at the ports on the Pacific. Now the
whole aspect of the equation has
changed. There was nothing in the
Chicago address about ''the great peo-
pie of China. and the "sordid," "hap-
less and unlikely" immigrants from
Poland, Italy and Hungary would
hardly have recognized themselves in
the Democratic candidates fervid trib-
ute to their worth as components Of
the American scheme of civilization.
Possibly their generous eulogist also
hardly recognized himself as former
historian of national reputation.