The Birmingham age-herald., 1913-11-05
IMMIGRATION PROBLEMS DISCUSSED FROM MANY ANGLES

guage, our customs and our laws. Those
whose country is our country, whose flag
is our flag and whose God is our God
More than $4,000 of just such people an
ually cross over our northern border to
make their homes with our Canadian
brethren. These are mostly Industrious
thrifty, hardy, well-to-do young men from
western states where lands have become
so high that they seek alien homes
swear alliance to another flag, and carry
their Drawn and brain to build up another
land.
MIR. Chairman, let's turn these Amer
ican citizens southwark to clasp hands
with us under the same flag, and to
help us cement this indissoluble union of
indivisible states. 1 had rather have one
of these make his home with US than
a thousand Sicilians who come like
grasshoppers to feed upon the fat of our
land and then fold their tents like the
Arab and as silently steal away How
can we get them?
Make Them Understand Us
TN the first place we must make them
understand US. l believe, Mr.. Chairman,
that If 50 years ago our brethren north
and our brethren south had understood
each other even as they understand each
other now, the soil of our southland would
not have been bedewed with the best
blood of those who wore the gray and
those who wore the blue.
I'VE are year by year learning to know
each other better and could some misap-
prehension as to people and climate be
relieved, l believe thousands of those
American citizens could each year be In
duced to turn their faces southwark
Il was In Minneapolis several years ago
and called on my good friend, John Lind,
then member of Congress, and now
the special agent of President Wilson
in Mexico. I asked him why 1t was that
the Scandinavians who were settling up
that country so rapidly did not come
south. He replied that they thought our
climate was too hot and they did not
want to come to a section where negroes
were so numerous and racial conditions So
acute. If 1t could be shown them that
while our winters are not nearly SO rigor-
Gus as those of the far northwestern
states, our summers are not so warm. a
long step would be made toward turning
them southwark If a few colonies from
these states could be induced to locate
among us, they would also see that the
negro question Is not near what it has
been represented to be. I have never
yet known a northern man who has set
tied among us to rear his family and
make his home that was not surprised
corded the negro by our people.
Need More Cordiality
Another matter that we overlook too
much is the cordiality with which we
should greet those coming to make their
homes among us. Let us give them the
glad hand more often than we do. and
make them feel that they are a part of
us ana welcome to us. 1t is true that
we OF the south are In fact less prone
to reserve and diffidence in greeting new
comers than any other sections of the
union, but from what they have heard
of US they are more apt to notice any an.
parent slight than they would from their
own people. In Etowah county there is
an excellent woman who is a large land
owner and splendid farmer, and in an
address that heard her recently deliver
before large farmers meeting she
stressed this point most focibly, and
realized that she was right
The northwestern European is an ex.
cellent farmer, and a desirable citizen.
and l advise you to turn the tide of this
class of immigration to Alabama.
In Cullman county, In my district we
nave many successful German farmers
Ihey are among the most desirable immi-
grants that come to our shores. and in my
opinion Alabama cannot have too MANY
OF them Some of you may be surprised
- AN"i NV hbso'dtc Tie lnI1uX OF north
western Europeans, as i have been her.
aided far and wide as opposed to all for
eign immigration. Nothing Is farther
from truth.
Il have always been the champion of
the northwestern European immigration.
ana one reason why l have opposed the
southern european was the belief that
by checking that class we will gain more
OF those who come to remain, to become
naturalized citizens, to rear their families
among us, and to help advance the ma
terial and moral interests of our country
"Contemporaneous with the great in
crease of immigration from southern Eu-
rope that from northern and western Eu-
rope began to fall off, until now italy
alone annually sends nearly four times
as many people to the United States as
Germany sends
II was for five years a member or the
immigration commission appointed to, ax-
anime the question in Europe and Amer
lea. While in Hamburg I said to some
of the Germans. Why is 1t that more of
your people do not come to America ?
You prosper there we are glad to have
you; you make good citizens and are vel
come
The answer was that several reasons
had conduced to this falling off of Ger
man immigration. One was they were
doing better, and conditions We're more
tolerable In Germany than formerly.
Another was that we were getting too
many people from among the lower
classes along the Mediterranean.
One Way to Get Increase
Il verify believe that If there could be
great reduction of the immigration from
southern Italy, Greece, Austria Hungary
and other countries of that class. there
would be considerable increase of those
who spring from the races that were the
pioneers in this country, and were your
and my ancestors.
Besides, Mr.. Chairman, if we hope to
get foreigners on the lands we must look
to northern and western Europe to secure
them.
The southern and eastern European al
most to a man herds and congests in the
cities and around the gerat Industries.
and brings about. conditions moral and
material that are most deplorable. I'm
migration associations are being formed
in some of the coast cities of the south.
and If you will trace them to their pro-
moters you will generally find the great
steamship companies backing them up.
These companies regard every immigrant
as a good immigrant who has the passage
money in his pocket. do not believe We
would have ever had the contract labor
law that prevents individuals and cor
porations contracting with immigrants $
on the other side If immigration had been
restricted substantially to the old stock.
Last year about 10000 south Italians
came to this country, of whom about 81 00l
were classed as farm laborers. and yet
less than per cent of these went to the
farm.
In their native land many of them
lived in towns and ghettos, and walked
IN 70 nd ~,