The labor world. [volume] (Duluth, Minn.) 1896-current, 1912-11-02
The ''Perip of the Immigrant
BIZ Charles SteLzIe.

day. The steamship companies are
too heavily fined in case they trans
port an undesirable immigrant, 80
that they are usually careful in their
inspection.
1t is true that many of the immi-
grants are illiterate. Possibly rs per
cent. of the persons IA years Of age
or over who come to us can neither
read nor write. Most of these come
from the small towns or rural districts
where the educational facilities are not
as good as they are in the city, but it
should be remembered that the most
und esirable-that is the criminal
classes among Europeans come from
the cities and are usually the best
educated. The test of literacy is not
by any means the best one in our
selection Of the immigrant.
If the immigrant, who makes few
thousand dollars in this country and
returns with it is worth keeping in
America, we should offer him the
right kind Of inducements to remain
here. AS matter Of fact, we stack
him in shacks, we exploit him in our
economic life and we do not always
give him a mans chance. He should
be made to see the advantage of re-
naming In America after he has be-
come useful citizen.
But family relationships. the spare
cash deposited in foreign savings
banks, the pleading for loyalty on the
part of the government, the constant
inducement offered by the steamship
companies and the natural love Of the
fatherland which exists in the heart
of every patriot-all these have a ten
dency to pull them back. But sup
pose that the immigrant does return
to the fatherland. He goes to tell Of
the greatness and the glory Of Amer
lea, and so it often happens that
when the returned immigrant finds
that the conditions which first drove
him out have remained unchanged,
back he comes, the leader Of band
which also seeks its fortune in this
wonderland where a man may earn
four: times as much as he earned at
home; where women are 11onored as
they are in no other part of the world !;
where even the rights of little chill
dren are respected. Here they find
religious and political freedom, a
chance to make the most of them
selves and economic liberty such as
they never knew before.
Settling principally in large cities
and influenced by segregative tenden-
cies, they form their "Ghettos," their
Little Italys,' their "Bohemian
H1lls,' often retaining their old coun-
try social ideas and customs. Coming
from lands where their privileges
have been restricted, they become an
easy prey to agitators. Sometimes the
false economic doctrines accepted
abroad influence their relationships in
America. Purchased and led to the
polls by corrupt politicians, they be-
come menace to the well-being of
our country. But in spite of all this.
the average foreigner will make a
good citizen if the American will show
him how. The real peril is in the
American. A foreigner not yet natur-
allied wrote to friends in the father
land: America is "a great country.
They not only allow you to vote, but
they pay you for voting" Who was
responsible. for this statement?
It is the children Of the foreigne or
who are our greatest peril. and they
have received their training In this
country. The criminal classes are
largely augmented from among these