The menace. [volume] (Aurora, Mo.) 1911-1920, 1915-01-09
Pending Legislation for Restriction of immigration is
"Marked for the Axe"--Prompt Action by Every
Voter Needed to Avert Deluge of Hliterute Immi-
grants-Papist Colony Promoters Busy at Washing
ton-Put the Senator'S From Your State on Record

and illiterate Of south Europei lfl
there is anything 10 be gained by /
immigration at this time, would
il not be better TO encourage the
coming Of the kind that in the
past went direct 20 the western
prairie and made them over into |
an empire Of wealth and indus
tryi
For il should be remembered
that the immigrants of the
forties, fifties, sixties, and seven.
ties were from another part OF
Europe, that they left Europe
for other reasons than those
coming here now, and that
their motives in seeking citizen
ship In the United States were
more wholesome and helpful TO
the country OF their choice. They
were, largely, energetic and am
bilious Germans, Swedes, Nor.
wegians, and like sturdy farmers
Of the North who had no desire to
bunch up in the city slums, but
moved on with the intention OF
finding a place for a home, and
went to work TO make a home
when they found the place.
Those pioneer immigrants took
a pride in the country Of their
adoption. They learned the Ian.
guage, and sent their children to
the public school. The American
newspaper found a place in their
homes together with a modest
shelf of books that, under the care
of succeeding generations, grew
to q home library. They became
Americanized because they came
here with the desire and intention
Of becoming Americans. They
} and their offspring have become
! thoroughly identified with the
country and saturated with its
. progressive and democratic spirit.
And their religion did not suffer
r in the least from their transfer of
political allegiance. They and
theirs are thorough-going Amer.
| leans in the best and most accur.
: ate meaning Of the term.
But times have changed, and
conditions have changed. Cheap
e land is no longer available in
!, small tracts for the individual
! immigrant. This inducement, that
1 attracted the best blood of the
q old world, has been largely ap.
: propriated and exhausted. Large
e numbers of the immigrants now
: coming are not drawn by the at.
I traction of fertile acres to be
earned, owned, improved, and
t transformed into a happy home
e On the contrary, they are pushed
i this way by governments that
e wish to be rid of them, and by the
e agents of other interests that car
:, profit from the price of passage
}, or in some way use the immigrant
9 on his arrival. One of the mos
active of these agencies is the Ro
r man Catholic colonization bureau
It which is mortgaging its churcl
> properties and investing in lanC
n upon which to exploit the ignor
> ance Of its dupes.
g That these facts have not beer
wholly overlooked is shown b!
! the bills introduced in recent ses
= sions Of congress for the purpos,
= Of restricting and regulating i'm
= migration. The Smith-Burnet
!. Bill, with its literscy clause, whicl
(; requires that prospective citizen
!. from other lands must be able 4
: read at least one language, is nov
= pending. Elsewhere on thi
e page is reprinted the press dis
patch which says that this yer.
- mild step toward regulating tn
quality of human imports i
|, marked for the axe" by certain
- law makers and alleged states
,s men.
n II it is trueaend it undoubtedl.
Is is true, that certain senators o
q the present congress have enterel
10 into a mutual understanding b,
n which the Smith-Burnett Bill j
e. TO die by limitation on the fourtI
IS Of March, it shows the presenc
IF in that body Of spineless shrimp
who are afraid TO 60 y recor
N either as the friends \as tn
" enemies of the meas An
r such Of these gentlemg hay
>tlmarted this messuref srN,s *