Little Falls herald., 1914-02-13
I s. 1.EscoH1ER ON IMMIGRATION

+. LESCOHIER ON IMMIGRATION
st. Paul Union Labor Advocate; Prof.
dress last Friday night at the Central
Presbyterian church on THE lmmlgra-
zion Problem and the relations of the
american church to it. Prof Lescohier
8 the chief statistician in the state la
DOR bureau and one of the best posted
men in the state on questions affecting
labor in this country; and the immigra-
Ion question is one of the large ones
involved materially and vitality In the
American labor problem. The address
one of a series Prof. LeschOier has been
delivering at various public gatherings
IN this city and elsewhere, and Is Well
worthy of careful consideration, even In
.he brief synopsis of it which our avail
able space allows.
MAGNITUDE OF THE PROBLEM
A mere statement OF the figures in the
case suggests the striking magnitude OF
he immigration problem: Prof. Lesco-
hier tells us that from 1920 to 1912 29,-
States,'' and, although about one-third
of those now coming returned later to.
their native lands, the completion of 100
years from 1920 will show migration
within that period Of fully 3o.ooo'oO peo-
people from the old world to America, the
greatest migration of human beings
from one continent to another in human
history"
FUNDAM ANTAL FACTORS
Three questions of fundamental char
acter interest Prof Lescohier especially
in connection with this mater. These
are:
a.. whether or not this conglQmer-
ate of races can amalgamate into an
American race
(2). whether the stream Of unskilled
iabOrers with a low standard of living
is keeping down wages and lowering the
American wOrkingmans standard of
living and threatening the perpetuatlon
of healthy and intelligent population"
90 whether the people of the Alpine,
Mediterranean and jewish races are cap
able of assimilating our national ideas
and Of doing their share in operating and
developing a democratic government and
civilization"
AMALGAA1ATION SURE TO COME
After pointing out luminously and
forcibly the elements which enter into the
situation, Prof. Lescohier reached the
conclusion that physical and mental
dangers do not constitute a problem to
4uund our incoming immigrants with an
environment favorable to health and
longevity, we may look forward to an
American race equal it not superior to
that which We now have" And he ex-
Claims: What undreamed possibilities
Of new racial types, or world peace, of
world culture, are bound up in the COM
ing of this race which Is to be-
SECOND PERI WILL ADJUST
ITSELF
Discussing his secOn>. question the pro-
fessor said; If the hords Of immigrants
pouring upon our shores are sundermin-
ing the American standard Of life and
threatening the American wage stand
ard, we have a problem to face that
must give serious concern to every be-
lever in American civilization" He
then declares; AFTER careful study
of American wages and prices curing the
last 25 years I am satisfied that the ad-
dition' of 100000 or 6UO,OvO persons to
our population-and very largely to our
city population-eacn year has been one
factor in increasing the pressure on our
national resources an. stimulating
prices. while the addition of these per-
sons to the ranks of our comman labor
classes has retarded the rise of wages
steadily" But the hopeful comment fol-
lows: Ion the other hand, an examina-
tion of the facts with respect to the ear
lier Irish and German migration shows
that the: North European races We're In
furious In the same manner when they
came in their largest numbers, but that
they have adopted the American stand
ard of living and become highly val
ued portion of our population" He
adds: Recent stuules of the South Eur
opean races have shown that they are
going through the same process: that
those who have been in this country for
generation, and their children, are
many of them becoming skilled mechan-
les, farmers, lawyers, teachers, doctors,
editors, bankers, merchants and business
men, and even some of the largest, most
efficient and best managed of our trade
unions are largely composed of South
Europeans"
OUR DUTY TO IMMIGRANTS
In reference to his third question Prof.
Lescohier stated his conviction that the
South European is fully capable of be-
coming an American without deterior-
made over, if proper environing condi-
tions are thrown about him. In this
connection he said: 1.-THE immigration
problem is not problem of aliens. but
a problem of Americans. Not the nations
of Europe but America is beng tested,
o: impairs American ideas and civili-
zation it will not be the foreigners but
America which is to blame. We have
let the immigrants come, are letting them
cf me and Will continue to let them come.
But we have permitted employers to ex-
plot them: lawyers Interpreters, en-
r4~y1nent agencies, the police and a
hundred others to rob them. We have
refused them Justice In our courts; de-
cetved them into signing away their leg
al rights: cursed them around in factor
les, mines and camps; crowded them
into tenements and slain them with A4lth
and disease in box cars and construction
camps; allowed brutal foremen to en-
danger their daughters in our employ
ments; neglected their religious instruc-
tiOn; treated them, in a word, as wlLn-
out rights. They hS We been hands not
men; factors in industry. but not citi-
zens. We have kept our justice for our
selves and our kindnes for our acQuaint-
ances, and. with an Indifference as cruel
as oppression. we have permitted the