The Wheeling intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1903-1961, 1913-10-18
Saturday, October is, 1918.
the SOUTH EUROPE IMMIGRANT.

the SOUTH EUROPE IMMIGRANT.
AZ Huntington. Wednesday. In an
address before tho Federation OF wo-
mems Clubs. Judge John T. Graham
made a vigorous attack upon our immi-
grafton laws. Judge Graham claims
that they brought annually into this
State thousands OF Europeans OF n
low class. who Tower the plane OF our
citizenship, and are n curse and a men,
ace 20 our civilization"
It may be freely granted that a great
many OF the immigrants from italy.
from parts OF Hungary and the Bal
kan States are not men and women
OF the highest class and are not the
most desirable citizens. But we must
not overlook the debt which, as a pso-
pie. We owe to these hardy workers,
who come amongst us and do cheer
fully the heavy manual work which
AngloSaxons cannot be induced 10 do.
The men who are to-day building our
railroads and keeping them in oondl-
ton: the men who do the heavy and
dangerous work about our mills and
our mines; the men who work the
longest hours for the lowest wages.
and IN the most difficult and unDleas-
ant positions, are invariably from this
immigrant class. The sons OF Ameri-
cans, the sons OF immigrants who
came to this country forty or fifty
years ago. are not found among the
day laborers. They are not found
among the men who push wheelbar-
rows and shovel dirt. Through the
benefits Of education most OF them
have either attained better positions
or acquired wealth. The heavy and
dangerous. tho ugly and unpleasant
work OF this great land OF ours is TO a
very large extent done by this Euro.
pean scum Of which the Huntington
Judge complains so eloquently. They
do this work Willingly: they live on
a pittance. and they are glad 20 como
TO this land OF ours for the chance II
gives them 20 improve their own condI-
lions and the condition OF their chill
dren. To shut tho doors OF our ports
against this class OF immigration
would be 70 turn hack industrialism
and hamper for many years the deveI-
opment OF those great natural re-
sources OF ours which ETH remain I'M
touched
Might It not be better. instead OF en-
ploying so much time and strength in
denouncing European immigration. 10
give more OF our thought and more OF
our patience and our means 20 their
uplifting, 10 their improvement and do
velopment7 Thousands OF these i'm
migrants make good citizens when
they arc given the opportunity. They
come from ancient races and Inherit
splendid artistic and poetic tompera.
ments Their ancestors centuries ago
knew what n was 90 fight for free.
dom. They are hardy and enterprising.
or they never would have left their na.
tive land and accepted cheerfully tho
toll and privations which they accent
here. Instead OF holding ourselves on.
tireiy aloof from this class. and as-
suming an afr of superiority might
not American citizens generally do a
better part By providing means IN Cd.
ucats them IN The history. 'he Iitera.
'ure ana the traditions % Tho great
American Republic They have tho
stun IN then % make good citizens n
They are given the chance They have
thcir faults IN abundance. but none Of
US are perfect. and 70 need them quito
az much az they need We