The united opinion. [volume] (Bradford, Vt.) 1881-1970, 1921-12-30


immigration problem, not be
cause we are overcrowded will
European hordes for we ART
pretty straight old American
stock, but our senior senator ha'
long been an authority on the
subject of immigration and We
have followed his investigation
with interest. The Miami Her
aid recently had an interesting
editorial on the subject of the
melting Pot" and our declining
to continue to be one, which we
are copying:
Under the present law. immigration
is limited to three per cent Of tn
present foreign population ALREADY
represented here. That is to say. tha
only three per cent of the number o.
Poles, for instance, who are already II
the United States can be received int
this country In any one month"; lroii
that country. :,
This seems like a very small per
centage in view of the vast numbers o.
immigrants received in the Unltec
States in the years before the grea'
war. But even at that, there were re,
ceiyed into this country from the nrs'
day of June to the last day of Noyem
Der, last, 1876, 500 immigrants, 1ndlcat'
ing an immigration for q the S YEAR w
There has been a question IN tne
mind of men who have given the SUD
ject careful study, whether or not tht
old-time theory that America Is tnt
cessfully assimiliate all Immigration
that might land on our shores. was en-
The lessons of the past few years
hasty or supremely egotistical when
we assumed that we could take IN
care for, educate ana MAKE Amer lG ~ ;
of all who were minded to come. Inc
war showed pretty concluSlVely that we
have not as thoroughly assimilated the
masses of immigrants as we nae
Thought and that there is grave danger
even in the continuance OF the three
per cent law. now on the s'aIul9 pOU M
A study of the question has broughl
about a strong movement further u
limit immigration. We might as wen
acknowledge the fact that we cannol
take in all the people OF the various
nations that are now longing to come
to America. When once that fact Is
souarely faced, there wifi be less op-
position to the discussion of the liml-
tation of immigration: because the
ent practice. II, .
great reluctance to the preventing OF
any poor man from Europe or else
where coming to this country where
the promise of freedom and chance
to make his way in the world Is held
out to him. We would have the reel,
ing that we were committing an actual
wrong in depriving any worthy man OF
the opportunity he ought TO nave 70
live and live happily.
But il IS no theory we race Inc
danger is that by the continued recelv-
ing of vast hordes or ignorant illili,
from our own foundations and admit
ting an evil that may eventually destroy
our own civilization and thus deprive
all the world of opportunity on TINS
continent. .
The proposition now is advanced in
congress that all immigration be stop
ped for a season, a number OF years,
An exception in the proposed Dill Woulu
admit the blood relatives OF people who
are now here, but all the rest of the
world is to be excluded. under the
promised bill. until such time as the
country would deem 1t safe again 10 IN
wife immigration. This would Apply,
it should be understood, to Immigrants
alone, and not to visitors.
The opposition to this and other
restrictive immigration measures comes
from the racial groups already repre-
SenteQ mere, lTOln lilOSS WIN uCohS
secure inordinantly cheap labor. and
from steamship companies who are IN
terested in passenger fares.
The support to the bill will come
from those intelligent Americans who
are honestly fearing that we have al.
ready gone too far in our benevolent
admission of the world to our shores.
We contend the world is grow
ing better but even so the mil
lenium hasn't come yet with five
hundred alleged violaters of the
Volstead act arrested in Chicago
in one day. 1t only proves that
it is hard work to legislate
against something that a good
many persons want to do and II
doesn't matter whether you are
legislating against church going
or drinking.
It's New Years we next have
to get off our hands and then we
can settle down for the regular
years work, at least until the
next batch of holidays come.
STATE NEWS