St. Tammany farmer. [volume] (Covington, La.) 1874-current, 1915-03-20

A nation which prevents another
nation from commercial intercourse
for the purpose Of securing actual
necessaries, and denies them the
privileges Of entering upon a new
and better life, commits an act OF
hostility.
No state can exclude friendly ad-
mission to shipwrecked, stranded OF
unfortunate visitors, they now must
be treated humanely, and. their prop
erty rights observed. Thus you yill
see, my opponents, that immigra-
ton is part of nation building.
Democracy is founded on princi-
pies embracing freedom OF country,
CT speech, Of broadmin ledness.
Would these principles be carried in
to effect, if we barred foreigners from
coming amongst us?
The question of civil liberty in
Europe is at all times at the mercy
Of the government Then should
we refuse to receive immigrants who
break away from these factors and
show desire to accept better sys-
tenn Of government in a nation That
rules the. world?
If the people are willing to re-
nounce fidelity to power and poten-
tate, and swear allegiance to the T..
S., then we can receive them.
Our laws have been so amended
from year to year, relative to inmi-
grafton, that undesira bles are deport-
ed. Thus immigration is restricted.
This, to my mind, IS unnece sary
hor npn1 81 ,f~so !,
desirables; but cur strong nation has
ever been able to cope with the sit
uation. Our vast country, our ag-
ricultural interests, our mines, our
sweat-shops, our manufactures re-
quire the help given by foreigners;
they are noted laborers. Our Euro
pean nations have had the initiative
in most things and their subjects
have been drilled with master hand.
They are, therefore, skilled laborers,
farmers, carpenters, shoemakers,
clerks, merchants, miners, engineers,
actors, musicians and teachers. You
rarely see an illiterate immigrant.
Statistics beginning with 1870, with
387,203 to 1910, with an increase of
l ,O41,5 $50 immigrants landing in tliss
U. S. OF these in all of this time
only 24,270 were debarred, because
of insanity, disease, ETC., and the l.,
literates were children from 10 to !
years.
Would it matter then to allow even
these few, whom you might class I'M
desirables, to enter our free and gle
rious country.
1t may be fairly seen in the going
back in history to the revolutionary
period, colonization in America was
made possible by immigration Of all
classes. Why should not the same
principles answer for today? We
have vast forests and swamDs and
lowlands and uplands that immigra-
ton would cultivate and thereby add
wealth to our nation.
II we restrict immigration now are
we to call ourselves free country.
ask You again, my opponents,
with the numerous advantages offer
ed and summed up as follows: You
will be forced to agree that imm;-
grafton should not be restricted.
l. Hostility-Would we not Be
hostile nation II we closed our door
% our neighbors in the old world?
2. Nation Building-Does it not
Increase our population? BY in-
build our nation.
3. Democracy-Is our nation not
ounded on the principles of demoo-
'acy? Did not our ancestors first
freak away from the power Of the
I'D world and build a foundation Of
rec principles.
4. Deveaopment-By the settle
nent OF our lands and progress CT
griculture and commerce.
.. Colonization-By people build
ng cities and towns.
9. Increase in prosperity by add