Speech #480078679

The census reports show that of the persons engaged in manuihctures and mechanical and mining industries in the United States in the year 1880 the nativity was: U nited States .......................................................................................... 2.611.325 Ireland ............................................ . . ................................. 284.175 G erm any ................................................................................................. 368.110 G reat B ritain .......................................................................................... 225.730 Scandinavia ............................................................................................ 44. 615 B ritish A m erica ...................................................................................... 153.935 O ther countries ..................................................................................... 149.222 By this table it appears that of the persons engaged in manufactures and mechanical and mining industries in the year 1880 2. 611.325 were natives and 1.225.787. or nearly onethird of the whole number engaged. were of foreign birth. We must bear in mind also that a large percentage of those classed as natives are the children of foreign parents. Most of these men came here under the influence of the policy adopted at an early day in our historya policy that encouraged bonafde immigration. and that had in view the adoption as citizens of the immigrants. That policy has succeeded in bringing to our shores millions of the most hardy. industrious. and respectable workingmen. mechanics. artisans. and fiirmers of Continental Europe. By the amalgamation of the races a people have grown up in this country the equals if not the superiors of any race in the world. So that it is not against the continued immigration of foreigners who come here of their own volition and for the.purpose of becoming citizens of the Republic. with the settled purpose to subject themselves to our institutions and laws. that the proposed legislation is directed. but against that new and degraded class who are brought here by the agents of incorporated companies to work for whatever pay their employers wish to give them. who have no knowledge of or respect for our laws. and who do not know the meaning of the word citizen. It is against this "pauper labor" of Europe. brought to our doors by the men who have always been loudest in their profession of regard for the interests of American labor. this ignorant. servile. unskilled. and debased labor. whose direct tendency is to degrade and drag down to its own level the labor of this country. that we protest. The condition of labor in this country is not good at the best. The census reports for 1880 furnish some curious and interesting reading.