Bonners Ferry herald. [volume] (Bonners Ferry, Idaho) 1904-current, 1914-07-03
COMING THRoNGs NOT ALWAYS
IN HARMONY WITH OUR sYs-
TEN OF GOVERNMENT.
FLOCK TO BIG COMMERCIAL CENTERS
In Many Cases They Increase social
and Industrial EviIs-Immgration
Laws Should Be Drawn Tighter
and Enforced to the Letter.

they are thoroughly assimilated) are
not in harmony with our system of
government and national ideals and
may have retarded the highest politi-
cal development of the nation. In
considering the political results of i'm
migration there are three principal
facts to be considered:
First, the larger portion are males
and therefore largely exercise the
right of franchise and that quickly
and after their education has been
largely completed in foreign countries.
Second, in recent years the immi-
grants have tended to crowd into the
larger cities where they colonize and
vote for employment. This assem-
bling of immigrants into foreign quar-
tiers of the cities is obviously bad; 1t
increases social and industrial evils.
Third, it is asserted that with the
immigrants come undesirables and an
archists and that, with the freedom of
speech granted, they exert an undue
and harmful influence.
But, in fairness, it must be admitted
that the evils we now complain Of find
their root in economic conditions and
were we to shut off immigration, we
should have the same evils and prob
lens to contend with. Socialism and
anarchy, for example, are due to in
equality of wealth, shutting the doors
Of opportunity to the poor, etc. If the
economic conditions here are sound,
how can a socialist or anarchist, argu-
ing from his European experience, in
fluence us? We have a government
which assures equality of opportunity
and fair degree of equity in the dis
tribution of wealth, though our expert
ence is demonstrating to the world
that equity in the distribution of
wealth does not necessarily follow
from equal opportunity.
So, while immigration may intensity
existing evil conditions, it does not
cause them and we can not get rid of
them by restricting immigration.
Social Results of immigration.
1t is often argued that crime, vice
and mortality are greater among the
lower classes than among the wellto-
do and that these are therefore in
creased by immigration. Inasmuch as
there are no comprehensive statistics
On this point, it is a safe argument to
make. But common sense indicates
that crime and vice are either heredit-
nry or suggested by the social or econ
omic conditions that man finds him
self in. Statistics do not show more
crime and vice to be hereditary in for
eigners than in naturals; so again the
conditions in our land are to be looked
after. Where food is cheap and sani-
tary regulations good, mortality is not
high and does not follow especially
among immigrants.
On the other hand, it is pretty well
established that pauperism and Hitter
acy do result largely from, or are in
creased by, immigration.
But the most important social con-
sideration is of course the extent to
which the immigrants may be success
fully assimilated. Up to e5 years ago
there is no doubt that the assimilating
process worked we'll Except of course
in the matter of oriental immigration),
three great forces of assimilation be-
ing the public school, marriage and
political suffrage. But during the last
few decades the tendency to colonize
in foreign quarters in the large cities
is restricting assimilation.
No civilized nation of today would
undertake to entirely prohibit immi-
grafton, or even to suspend all immi-
grafton for any stated period, so the
only practical policy is the restriction
and regulation of immigration
Our laws at the present time, in gen.
eral, discriminate between paupers
and criminals on the one hand and
the desirable classes on the other. We
have commissioners of immigration
whose duty it is to look after the inn
MGR nts and inquire into their finan-
cial condition and character. The re-
jected are returned to the ports from
which they embarked at the expense
of the ship owners.
Another restriction upon immigra.
tion into this country is the contract
labor law, which requires that any
person contracting his labor in the
foreign country shall not be admitted.
This law was passed at the instance
of the trade unions to prevent striking
miners being supplanted by imported
1aborers. 1t was also intended to pre-
vent the overcrowding of the country
with unskilled labor from Europe. OBJ
viously the tendency of this restric-
tion is to maintain higher wages for
native unskilled labor, which is desir-
able rot only from social point of
view, but also from the industrial
viewpoint as it enhances the laborer's
pr releasing power.
4 third restriction is the Chinese
exclusion law, which is based on treat
is with China and renewed periodic
ally.