Speech #590004500

As long as there were any homestead lands left in the West to be taken up and to. be made into homes. that imiigration still contimned from northern Europecontinued to come from people of our kith and kin. people whom we could absorb and make a part of us in one generation. But when that class of iummigrant could no longer find a homestead here on which to build his home and found his independence. he ceased to coime. When the great steamship conipanies of the world found that the immigration was falling off. which had been very profitable to them. they felt it was necessary for their business to keel) it up. They foumd that the immigrant from northern Europe was io longer willing to come. because the inducements that in former years brought him to America no longer existed. Then they put their agents in the field to bring not good immigration. but to bring any immigration they could get. for the sole purpose of the profit derived from the money paid for time steerage passage. and not for the benefit of America or the upbuilding of our Republic. It then became a queson of wvl was it easiest for themi to get. .It was that class of people who were most discontented with their home surroundings. who were most optpressed and downtrodden at home. and who therefore were most willing to leave. And it was in that field they sent their agents to secure the nimigration that make the profits for their great companies. I am informed. and I am sure that the facts are true. that the steanship companies entering New York ii the last year made over $25.000.000 of profit off of the steerage immigrants they brought into this country. That is the inducement for them to bring in the class of peolle that we now find coming here. and when they conmehere they are here for good or for bad. If they are of benefit to the country. we derive the benefit. if they are of injury. we suffer that injur"y.