If they Intend to become American citizens. they should be extended a helping hand. but they should burn the bridges behind them. No one can serve two masters. Some claim that our immigration laws should not be so strict. because we need labor in this country. It is generally not a shortage of labor. but cheaper labor that some desire. There is no shortage of labor in this country. There may be a shortage in certain communities for certain work. but there are plenty of people in this country to do the work. if they can be procured. There is no shortage where the immigrants locate. and there is no way of scattering them throughout the United States to relieve any temporary condition wherein such shortage is claimed. But even if there was a shortage. we can not hazard our heritage by the class of people who might come. It is better to have no immigration. regardless of business. than to have that class which would lower our social and moral standing. It is better to have a shortage of labor. if needs be. in our mines and manufactories rather than have that people come who are not in accord with our ideas and ideals. As some one has said. "Better smokeless chimneys than a degenerate people." President Roosevelt said: We should never admit any " merely because there Is need of labor." better run short of labor than foul or dilute the body of citizenship into which our children are to enter. In practice it is not easy to apply exactly the proper tests. but fundamentally our aim should be to admit only immigrants whose grandchildren will be fit to intermarry with our grandchildren. with the grandchildren of the Americans of today. Do you think that many of the immigrants who are coming to this country can meet these requirements? Do you desire to develop this country from the ideas and ideals of southern and eastern Europe. or do you desire to develop according to the ideas of present America? And if you do we should admit our immigrants on a basis which will preserve our present racial conditions. The question of immigration has been one of much concern ever since the foundation of this Government. After George Washington. the Father of his Country. had retired from the Presidency. he used this language upon this question: "My opinion with respect to immigration is that except for useful mechanics and some particular descriptions of men or professions. there is no need of encouragement. while the policy or advantage of its taking place in a bodyI mean the settling of them in a bodymay be much questioned. for by so doing they retain the language. habits. and principles. good or bad. which they bring with them. whereas by any intermixture with our people. they ortheir descendants get assimilated to our customs. measures. and laws. in a word. become our people." The time has come iin this country when they do settle in groups and retain their language. habits. and principles. which lie questioned at that time. Without meaning any disrespect. either nationally or Individually to any people. let us analyze to some extent the conditions. the characteristics. and environment of what we call the old immigration and the new immigration. The old immigrants are the same racial stock as the majority of the people already in the United States. while the new immigrants are unlike this stock In environments. language. ideal. and ideas of government. The old stock in this country came here under different conditions. different political histories. and these countries had limited monarchs during the period of their largest emigration. and their ideas and ideals form the basis of this great Government which we now have. The governments from whence our new Immigration came were more autocratic. less stable. and which resulted in formation of bodies or groups. in defiance of law and order. and under these conditions. disrespect and hatred for law officersoftentimes resulting in anarchy and assassination of those in authority. Naturally. people coming from countries of this character bring with them. to a great extent. the Old World environments and social status. and this of itself raises serious social. economic. and political conditions. Is it not just. then. that in admitting our immigrants that we do so with the theory of giving all of our people just representation with the view of maintaining our social. economic. and political conditions as they now exist? Are we to continue to develop and control the policies of this country. our social and economic conditions. according to American ideas and deals? Or shall we permit our social and economic conditions to be controlled by the Ideas and ideals of those who come from other countries. educated in a different school of thought. different in language. different in ideas and ideals. who come here restless and resentful from the Iron hand of tyranny? This question should be decided from an American standpoint. It Is not what is best for foreign countries. but it is what is best for America. her civilization. her refinement. her social conditions. and her Government. The greatest danger which we have from immigration is their settling in groups in this country. where they cling to their original ideas and customs and where their own national feeling is kept alive and more easily aroused.
Identified stereotypes
Immigrants are described as a class of people who would lower social and moral standing and are not in accord with American ideas and ideals.