The Old World in the New: The Significance of Past and Present Immigration to the American PeopleRoss, Edward Alsworth
History
The Old World in the New: The Significance of Past and Present Immigration to the American People
Ross, Edward Alsworth
Immigrants -- United States; Noncitizens -- United States; United States -- Emigration and immigration
So between boss and immigrant grows up a relation like that between
a feudal lord and his vassals. In return for the boss's help and
protection, the immigrant gives regularly his vote. The small fry
get drinks or jobs, or help in time of trouble. The _padrone_,
liquor-dealer, or lodging-house keeper gets license or permit or
immunity from prosecution, provided he "delivers" the votes of
enough of his fellow-countrymen. The ward boss realizes perfectly
what his political power rests on, and is very conscientious in
looking after his supporters. Of the Irish "gray wolves" in the
Chicago council I was told, "Each of them is a natural ward leader,
and will go through hell-fire for his people and they for him."
To the boss with a hold on the immigrant the requirement that
the poor fellow shall live five years in this country before
voting presents itself as an empty legal formality. In 1905 a
special examiner of the Federal Department of Justice reported:
"Naturalization frauds have grown and spread with the growth and
spread of the alien population of the United States, until there
is scarcely a city or county-seat town ... where in some form
these frauds have not from time to time been committed." In 1845 a
Louisiana judge was impeached and removed for fraud, the principal
evidence being that he had issued certificates to 400 aliens in
one day. The legislature might have been more lenient could it
have foreseen that in 1868 a single judge in New York would issue
2500 of such certificates in one day! The gigantic naturalization
frauds committed in the Presidential campaign of 1868 resulted in
an investigation by Congress and in the placing of congressional
elections under Federal supervision. During the month of October two
New York judges issued 54,000 certificates. An investigation in 1902
showed about 25,000 fraudulent certificates of naturalization in use
in that city.
There is hardly need nowadays to recount what Tim and his kind
have done with the power they filched through the votes of
Giuseppe and Jan and Michael. They have sold out the city to the
franchise-seeking corporations. They have jobbed public works
and pocketed a "rake-off" on all municipal supplies. They have
multiplied jobs and filled them with lazy henchmen. By making
merchandise of building laws or health ordinances, they have caused
an unknown number of people to be crushed, or burned, or poisoned.
Worst of all, by selling immunity from police interference to the
vice interests, they have let the race be preyed on and consumed
in the bud. Thanks to their "protection," a shocking proportion of
the inhabitants of our cities of mixed population are destroyed by
drinking, dissipation, and venereal diseases.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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