Amarillo daily news. [volume] (Amarillo, Tex.) 19??-current, 1914-03-27
OUR DEPENDENCE ON IMMIGRANTS.

In the April American Magazine Mary Antin,
, remarkable young Russian Iewess writes an ex-
.eedingly entertaining and able article about inn
migration. OF the success of immigrants in this
country and our dependence on them she says in
part:
he vry OF our immigrants is indicated by
he fact that the great majority .f them make
good. ANY SETTLEMENT worker any census clerk
will tell you that the history of the average immi-
grant family of the new period is represented by
IN ascending curve The descending curves are
furnished by degenerable families Of what was
once prime American stock | want no better
proof of these facts than | find in the respective
'ocabuaries OF the missionary in the slums OF New
FORK and the missionary in the New England hills
Vt the settlement on Eldridge Street they talk
bout Fastening the process OF AUGMENTATION of
he immigrant: the country minister in the Berk
hires talks about the rehabilitation of the Yankee
armer That u.s. the assists at an upward
process the other seeks to reverse downward
process
The fact about the modern immigrant is that
nc Is everywhere continuing the work begun by
pur pioneer ancestors. So much may learn
rom bare recital OF the occupations OF aliens
They supply the animal strength and primitive pa
fence that at the bottom of our civilization.
California they gather the harvest in Arizona
hey dig irrigation ditches in Oregon they fell
orests in West Virginia they tunnel coal; in
Massachusetts they plant the tedious crops suita-
Die to exhausted soil In the cities they build
ubways and sky -scrapers and railroad terminals
hat the wonder OF the world. Wherever
rough work and low wages go together we have
a job for the immigrant
he prouder we grow. the more we lean on
he immigrant. The Wall Street magnate would
be about as effective as puppet were it not
tor the army OF foreigners who execute his
schemes The magic OF stocks and bonds lies in
railroad ties and in quarried stone and in axle
grease applied at the right time A Hartman
might sit till doomsday gibbering at the telephone
and stock exchange woaid take no notice OF hin,
il band OF nameess Dagoes a thousand miles
away failed to repair a telegraph pole New York
Oty is building aqueduct that will surpass the
works OF the Romans, and the native New York
er will know nothing about it until he reads in the
newspapers the mayors speech at the Inauguration
oi the new water supply.
Our brains. our wealth, our ambitions flow in
channels dug by the hands of immigrants Alien
ands erect our Offices rivet our bridges and pile
lp the proud masonry OF our monuments L.
or'ug the fact that in these mighty works the en-
2inee as well the aborers is often OF alien race
We owe to mere muscle measure OF recognition
1roporti 1nate to our need OF muscle in our boast
I'd material progress. Whatever merit there was
n hewing and digging and hauling in the days of
he first settlers still inheres in the same opera
ions today Yes. and a little extra: for stick
IF dynamite is more dangerous to handle than
,row-bar. and the steam engine makes more
widows in year than ever the indian did with
bloody iomahawk and stealthy arrow