Greenbrier independent. [volume] (Lewisburg, Va. [W. Va.]) 1859-1980, 1922-09-01
WORTH THOUGHT.

n>NiNInia 4 few Wears ago. an
army officer stationed in the strike
region. III reply to Il Que >tiOn bv a
congressman. said that he had NJ,
been able to find an American
citizen among the strikers. and som,
oi the congressman Mno invcSti-
gated the situation. when they re-
turned to Washington told their as
socrates that they had not been able
l." lind among the strikers anybody
who could understand the English
language and the strikers spoke no
language which they could UNDER
stand
In the recent attack by Pcnn<yl-
ranla miners upon Il West Virginia
mine recently. most of the attack
ing party were foreigners and Il few
days thereafter large number of
women from the Pennsylvania viii
laSc from which these miners
marched. went into West Virginia
Seeking their husbands. but the AS
>ociaicd Press dispatches said that
not one of these women could speak
The English language.
1t WAS i'll the light of this condi-
lion which has existed for wears
that the Manufacturers Record
Years ago urged that no one but
American citizens should bc Der
nlttcd to belong to labor unions in
TINS country. The unions seek to
use these ignorant foreigners for
The purpose of stirring up strife. and
are affecting politics by creating the
IMPRESSION OF an enormous member
snip whcn very large proportion
Oh the members OF some unions are
NOT American citizens and do not
Know the English language. and are
simply being used as tools by design
ing radicals. Once more this Situa-
ton has become acute and letter
from Charles L. HELLER. of New
York, says:
lhcrc is one other suggestion
which Is worthy Of consideration
and that is the passage of a Federal
law prohibiting any alien from be-
longing to any labor union. | re-
Gently visited the Connelsvllc mine
district and found that most of the
miners making trouble are foreign
erS and aliens. not American citi-
zenS. and they neither read nor
speak English. They should not be
allowed to come over here and make
trouble for Americans by Joining
labor unions"
ms Is an issue which the cOun-
try must face. In the first place il
must De recognized that We have
100 many foreigners of that class in
inns country. Infinitely better would
II be for us to make slower material
progress than to make progress bv
destroying the foundation Of our
clHiilZatlon in flooding our land
win aliens who are alien in thought
IN morals and in political views TO
everything which has made for the
safety and the advancement of the
United States.
our immigration laws need TO he
made more strict than they are. In
erect We are letting foreigners oct
entrenchcd in order to DESTROY our
institutions and laws. This class
OF the oiiSprinsS of Southern Europe
should be forever dcbarrcd from
our shores. General Grants fear
expressed 40 Years ago against the
danger of this foreign immigration.
which he thought might DESTROY
intensified since the time when he
ultered that warning. If General
frant could have lived to the pres
emf day and seen something of the
millions Of foreigners who through
LABOR unions help to influence the
politics. and thc business interests
OF TINS coutry adversely. he would
reaiiZr that his fears might soon be
fulfilled.
There should be Il Federal law
forbidding any alien becoming a
member Of labor union. and no
allie should be permitted to become
an American citizen until he can
1ntcll@cntly read and understand
the English language. Americana
born boys are not allowed to vote
until they arc 81 years of age. but
me American boy ~ to Is wears
OF age has far more knowledge of
our country and our government
lean millions of aliens who with
out Il knowledge of the English
language or our system of govern
mcnt are permitted to become citi-
zrn> and to vote within brief time
aft'" reaching our shores. The in
icliIScnt. wcll-cducatch American
hoy must wait until he is 21, but
the ignorant and dcbaScd alien can
brCCmr and American citizen and
vote when he is as ignorant Of our
country. our laws and our form of
government as a llottcntot. and BY
bcCHnInS a member Of a,lHbOr union
even the alien cNcrtS Il great power
Tor evil in our political and bust