At a conference in New York, in the Home Mission study class_Aliens or Americans?

colored man from the West Indies gave a practical illustration of

individual missionary effort of the kind that would evangelize the

foreigners, if it were generally practiced. He said that every Thursday,

when the steamer from the West Indies arrives, he arranges his work so

as to be at the wharf, ready to welcome immigrants, especially young

people, and to advise them, if they are strangers without settled

destination. He was led to do this by his own experience. For three

years after he came to New York, he went from church to church without

ever receiving a word of welcome or invitation to come again. Finally he

found a church home; but the homesickness and loneliness of those years

made him feel that so far as he could help it, no one else from the West

Indies should have a similar experience. So he made himself free to

speak to the young men, and always invited them to church. He had been

the means of aiding many to establish themselves, and had saved many

immigrants from being lured away into evil. He said the place to get the

heart of the foreigner was when he first landed. It was a simple story,

told without any false modesty. Plainly his heart was in the work. He

was a home missionary, doing a definite service of importance, and

setting an example that inspired that company. They could not help the

round of applause that followed his statement. It was spontaneous. This

is the personal touch that must be put in some way upon the stranger

that is within our gates. If the alien can be brought under this

gracious Christian influence, the chances are many that he will soon

cease to be alien and become Christian. Blessed is he who makes any soul

welcome to country and church.

[Sidenote: A Call for Sacrifice]

A call to home mission service is thus presented by Dr. Goodchild, who

would carry religion more fully into the settlement idea: "We need for

the solution of this problem that young men and women who go to the

great cities from the strong churches of the smaller towns and villages

should identify themselves with mission churches rather than to seek

ease and honor in wealthy churches where unused talent is already

congested.

[Sidenote: The Living Example]

"We need young men and young women to go down among these people and

live Christian lives in the midst of them. I do not believe that any

one should take his children there to rear them. But young men in

groups, or young women in groups, or young couples without children, who

are able to earn their own living could contribute greatly to the

solution of these problems if they would live among these foreigners and

help in the process of digestion and assimilation. And there is nothing

that can do that work so quickly and effectually as for Christian men

and women to dwell among these people, as Christ once left his home on

high to dwell among the sinful ones of earth. And if there are young men

and young women who are willing to give themselves wholly to work for

these people, and will live among them, and seek by the power of divine

grace to lift them up, it surely is very little for you and me to

sustain them while they toil."

[Sidenote: How the Work Grows]

Wherever earnest effort has been put forth, the progress of the work has

been most encouraging. As an illustration of this, when Dr. H. A.

Schauffler some twenty years ago began his pioneer missionary work among

the 25,000 Bohemians of Cleveland, he could not learn of any

fellow-laborers in the Slavic field except a Bohemian theological

student in New York, a Bohemian Reformed Church pastor in Iowa,

and another in Texas. But in 1905 there met in Chicago an

Interdenominational Conference of Slavic missionaries and pastors, and

that gathering comprised no less than 103 Slavic workers, of whom

sixty-four were pastors and preachers, fourteen women missionaries, and

twenty-five missionary students; while the conference represented

forty-nine churches in thirteen states, and five evangelical

denominations. Mr. Ives says truly: "It has been forever established

that foreigners are as convertible as our own people, that in many

instances their faith is more pure and evangelical than the American

type, that their lives are transformed by its power to an extent that

sometimes puts the American Christian to shame, that their children are

easily gathered into Sunday-schools, their young people into Endeavor

Societies, and their men and women into prayer-meetings, where in many

different tongues they yet speak and pray in the language of Canaan. The

immigration problem is not the same menace that it was. A mighty solvent

has been found."

[Sidenote: Inspiring Difficulties]

There is no escaping the fact that a prodigious amount of difficult

lifting must be done in order to elevate the aliens to the American

social and religious level. But the very vastness of the home mission

task is inspiring rather than discouraging to heroic souls. As someone

says, "The American loves a tough job." Difficulties will not hinder him

a moment when once he is moved with the divine impulse, sees the thing

to be done, and sets himself with God's help to do it. Present

conditions call to mind that passage in "Alice in Wonderland," where by

the seashore

The walrus and the carpenter were walking hand in hand,

And wept like anything to see such quantities of sand.

"If seven maids with seven mops, swept it for half a year,

Do you suppose," the walrus said, "that they could get it clear?"

"I doubt it," said the carpenter, and shed a bitter tear.

[Sidenote: A Hopeful, not Hopeless Task]

It must be confessed that what has been done, in comparison with what

has to be done, would not be unfairly represented by the seven maids,

and that some people think the conversion of the foreigner as hopeless

as the carpenter did the sand-sweeping job. But seven mops are better

than none, and the pessimists are few. Souls are different material to

work upon from sand. By and by the Christian denominations will stop

sweeping around the edges of this great missionary enterprise, and take

hold of it with full force. This will come to pass when the real

conditions and needs and perils are widely known; and in making them

known the young people have their opportunity to render signal service

to foreigner, country, Church, and Christ.

_VI. Basal Grounds for Optimism_

[Sidenote: The Outlook]

Now that we have completed our study of immigration, necessarily limited

by time and space, we are in position to draw some conclusions with

regard to the outlook. Our study shows that there is plenty in the

character and extent of present day immigration to make the Christian

and patriot thoughtful, prayerful, and purposeful. On the surface there

is enough that is appalling and threatening to excuse if not justify the

use of the word "peril." The writer confesses that when he lived, years

ago, in western Pennsylvania, and came close to the inferior grades of

immigrants, and witnessed the changes wrought by the displacement of the

earlier day mining class, he bordered for a time on the pessimistic

plane. Nor was his condition much improved during residence in New

England, where the changing of the old order and the passing of the

Puritan are of vast significance to our country. But closer study of the

broad subject has led to a positively optimistic view concerning

immigration, and some of the grounds of this optimism may properly close

this chapter and volume.

[Sidenote: Two Great Factors--Democracy and Religion]

The basal ground is the universal tendency toward democracy and the

universal necessity for religion. These are sufficiently axiomatic. The

appeal to the history of the nineteenth century is sufficient to

establish the first, and the appeal to the heart of humanity will

establish the second. Democracy is the dominant spirit in the world's

life to-day. It is the vital air of America. Whatever is in its nature

inimical to democracy cannot permanently endure on this continent, and

certainly cannot control, whether it be in the sphere of ecclesiasticism

or commercialism. This, then, is the sure ground for optimism. Religion

is a necessity in a nation. What shall the type of religion be in

America? The answer is clear, for Protestantism is democratic, while

Romanism is autocratic.

[Sidenote: Influence of the New Environment]

The hope of America's evangelization is increased by the fact that the

pure religion of Jesus Christ is so essentially democratic in its

fundamental teachings of the brotherhood of man, of spiritual liberty

and unity. The immigrant comes into a new environment, created alike by

civil and religious liberty, and cannot escape its influence. Political

liberty teaches the meaning of soul liberty, and leads the way slowly

but surely to it. A man cannot come into rights of one kind without

awakening to rights of every kind; and once awakened, soon he insists

upon having them all for himself. Freedom is infectious and contagious,

and the disease is speedily caught by the old-world arrival, who

breathes in its germs almost before the ship-motion wears off. The peril

of this is that to him the main idea of liberty is license. The true

meaning of the word he must be taught by the Christian missionary, for

certainly he will not learn it from the Church to which he commonly

belongs. Here, then, is the opportunity for the pure gospel and for the

Christian missionary.

[Sidenote: The Testing "If"]

Adding the natural appeal of the gospel in its simplicity to this

favoring democratic environment, there is every reason for optimism

concerning immigration, if only American Protestantism prove true to its

opportunity and duty. "Ah, but that is a tremendous IF," said a widely

known Christian worker to whom this statement was made. "I agree with

you as to the favoring conditions, and my only doubt is whether our

Christian Churches can be brought to see their duty and do it. So far

there are only signs of promise. Our home mission societies are

doubtless doing all they can with the slender means furnished by the

contributing churches, but they are only playing at the evangelization

of these inpouring millions." What could be said in reply? One could not

deny present apathy on the part of Protestants at large, whether the

cause be ignorance or indifference or want of missionary spirit. One

could but declare faith in the prevailing power of Protestantism when

the crisis comes. We believe the day is not distant when American

Protestantism will present a united front and press forward

irresistibly. For the hastening of this day let us pray and work.

[Sidenote: The Task of the Ages]

Thus the problem always resolves itself to this at last: God has set for

American Protestant Christianity the gigantic task of the ages--the

home-foreign-mission task--nothing less than the assimilation of all

these foreign peoples who find a home on this continent into a common

Americanism so that they shall form a composite American

nation--Christian, united, free, and great. What could be more glorious

than to have part in the solution of this problem? To this supreme

service, young men and women of America, you are called of God. What say

you: shall it be Alien or American?

QUESTIONS FOR CHAPTER VIII

AIM: TO MAKE HOPEFUL BEGINNINGS A STRONG INCENTIVE TO GREAT

EXPANSION OF CHRISTIAN WORK FOR FOREIGNERS

I. _Faults on Both Sides._

1. What issues hang upon our work for the incoming foreigners?

2. * What barriers must be broken down in order to approach them

successfully?

3. What do these immigrants (speaking of them in general terms)

possess, and what do they lack, spiritually?

4. Is there a lack in our own personal attitude and feelings toward

them? What is it?

5. * If you had come as an average immigrant, what would you be

likely to think of "America" and the "Americans"?

II. _Missionary Beginnings._

6. When and where is it most easy to approach the foreigner? What

will a "lurking prejudice" do?

7. What Christian workers are there at the ports of entry? Give

instances of the results of their labors.

8. Can we possibly rest content with what is now being done on

these lines? Why not?

9. * Should all denominations unite in an effort to meet the

situation? Will you strive for it?

10. What has been the history of evangelical churches down town in

New York City? What centers of Christian work may be found there?

What form would a more adequate provision be likely to take?

11. Among what classes of immigrants has the most successful

Christian work been done?

12. Among what classes has it been thus far sporadic and

experimental? Give instances of successful work for Italians.

III. _Expansion Needed and Possible._

13. * Are those who are ordinarily neglected responsive to the

right sort of effort? How may there be sent forth "more laborers

into the harvest"?

14. When and how may the scattered forces be joined for more

effective work?

15. * Shall we "dare to brave the perils of an unprecedented

advance"?[99] Have we such faith that God will move his people to

furnish the funds?

IV. _Local and Individual Efforts._

16. Are there many Sunday-schools for Chinese in local churches?

Why not as many for other needy races?

17. * How can every Christian be a Home Missionary? Describe some

example. Compare our Lord's parable of the leaven.

18. Will the "day of small things" lead to greater? On what

conditions? Give instances.

19. * Is the task great enough to challenge our Christian faith,

courage, and perseverance?

V. _A Hopeful Outlook for the Christian._

20. Is there any reason for inactivity and despair? Why not?

21. Will Christian democracy help to solve the problem?

22. Where lies the element of uncertainty and how can it be

removed?

23. * Will you deliberately give yourself to be used of God in

helping to remove it?

"Immigration Means Obligation."

REFERENCES FOR ADVANCED STUDY.--CHAPTER VIII

I. Study the various forms of work undertaken for foreigners by

denominational Home Mission Boards.

Tables and statements in the appendixes of this book.

Missionary periodicals.

Reports and papers of different Societies.

II. Investigate and report upon efforts made in your own locality.

III. Frame an argument, or plea, for the great enlargement of all

Christian activities on behalf of foreigners.

McLanahan: Our People of Foreign Speech, X, XI.

APPENDIXES

APPENDIX A

TABLE I

NUMBER OF IMMIGRANTS ARRIVED IN THE UNITED STATES EACH YEAR FROM

1820 TO 1905, BOTH INCLUSIVE[100]

-----------------------------------------

Period |Number |

------------------------------|---------|

Year ending September 30-- | |

1820 | 8,385|

1821 | 9,127|

1822 | 6,911|

1823 | 6,354|

1824 | 7,912|

1825 | 10,199|

1826 | 10,837|

1827 | 18,875|

1828 | 27,382|

1829 | 22,520|

1830 | 23,322|

1831 | 22,633|

Oct. 1, 1831, to Dec. 31, 1832| 60,482|

Year ending December 31-- | |

1833 | 58,640|

1834 | 65,365|

1835 | 45,374|

1836 | 76,242|

1837 | 79,340|

1838 | 38,914|

1839 | 68,069|

1840 | 84,066|

1841 | 80,289|

1842 | 104,565|

Jan. 1 to Sept. 30, 1843 | 52,496|

Year ending September 30-- | |

1844 | 78,615|

1845 | 114,371|

1846 | 154,416|

1847 | 234,968|

1848 | 226,527|

1849 | 297,024|

1850 | 310,004|

Oct. 1 to Dec. 31, 1850 | 59,976|

Year ending December 31-- | |

1851 | 379,466|

1852 | 371,603|

1853 | 368,645|

1854 | 427,833|

1855 | 200,877|

1856 | 195,857|

Jan. 1 to June 30, 1857 | 112,123|

Year ending June 30-- | |

1858 | 191,942|

1859 | 129,571|

1860 | 133,143|

Year ending June 30-- | |

1861 | 142,877|

1862 | 72,183|

1863 | 132,925|

1864 | 191,114|

1865 | 180,339|

1866 | 332,577|

1867 | 303,104|

1868 | 282,189|

1869 | 352,768|

1870 | 387,203|

1871 | 321,350|

1872 | 404,806|

1873 | 459,803|

1874 | 313,339|

1875 | 227,498|

1876 | 169,986|

1877 | 141,857|

1878 | 138,469|

1879 | 177,826|

1880 | 457,257|

1881 | 669,431|

1882 | 788,992|

1883 | 603,322|

1884 | 518,592|

1885 | 395,346|

1886 | 334,203|

1887 | 490,109|

1888 | 546,889|

1889 | 444,427|

1890 | 455,302|

1891 | 560,319|

1892 | 579,663|

1893 | 439,730|

1894 | 285,631|

1895 | 258,536|

1896 | 343,267|

1897 | 230,832|

1898 | 229,299|

1899 | 311,715|

1900 | 448,572|

1901 | 487,918|

1902 | 648,743|

1903 | 857,046|

1904 | 812,870|

1905 |1,026,499|

1906[101] |1,100,735|

-----------------------------------------

TABLE II RACE, SEX, AND AGE OF IMMIGRANTS ADMITTED IN 1905

----------------------------------------------------------------------

| | | | Under | 14 to |45 yrs.

Race or people | Male | Female| Total | 14 | 44 | and

--------------------|-------|-------|---------|-------|-------|-------

African (black) | 2,325| 1,273| 3,598| 433| 2,974| 191

Armenian | 1,339| 539| 1,878| 246| 1,529| 103

Moravian | 6,662| 5,095| 11,757| 2,620| 8,442| 695

and Montenegrin | 5,562| 261| 5,823| 97| 5,529| 197

Chinese | 1,883| 88| 1,971| 28| 1,666| 277

Slovenian | 30,253| 4,851| 35,104| 1,383| 32,470| 1,251

Cuban | 4,925| 2,334| 7,259| 1,346| 5,225| 688

and Herzegovinian | 2,489| 150| 2,639| 62| 2,450| 127

Dutch and Flemish | 5,693| 2,805| 8,498| 1,699| 6,085| 714

East Indian | 137| 8| 145| 3| 122| 20

English | 31,965| 18,900| 50,865| 6,956| 36,726| 7,183

Filipino | 4| 1| 5| | 4| 1

Finnish | 11,907| 5,105| 17,012| 1,483| 15,047| 482

French | 6,705| 4,642| 11,347| 1,121| 8,825| 1,401

German | 49,647| 32,713| 82,360| 11,469| 64,441| 6,450

Greek | 11,586| 558| 12,144| 446| 11,523| 175

Hebrew | 82,076| 47,834| 129,910| 28,553| 95,964| 5,393

Irish | 24,640| 29,626| 54,266| 2,580| 48,562| 3,124

Italian (north) | 31,695| 8,235| 39,930| 3,569| 34,561| 1,800

Italian (south) |155,007| 31,383| 186,390| 16,915|159,024| 10,451

Japanese | 9,810| 1,211| 11,021| 124| 10,588| 309

Korean | 4,506| 423| 4,929| 325| 4,557| 47

Lithuanian | 13,842| 4,762| 18,604| 1,474| 16,875| 255

Magyar | 34,242| 11,788| 46,030| 3,864| 39,926| 2,240

Mexican | 152| 75| 227| 29| 169| 29

Pacific Islander | 13| 4| 17| 1| 15| 1

Polish | 72,452| 29,985| 102,437| 9,867| 89,914| 2,656

Portuguese | 2,992| 1,863| 4,855| 1,035| 3,381| 439

Roumanian | 7,244| 574| 7,818| 153| 7,293| 372

Russian | 2,700| 1,046| 3,746| 591| 2,988| 167

Ruthenian (Russniak)| 10,820| 3,653| 14,473| 661| 13,321| 491

Danes, and Swedes)| 37,202| 25,082| 62,284| 6,597| 52,226| 3,461

Scotch | 10,472| 5,672| 16,144| 2,270| 12,109| 1,765

Slovak | 38,038| 14,330| 52,368| 4,582| 45,882| 1,904

Spanish | 4,724| 866| 5,590| 403| 4,612| 575

Spanish-American | 1,146| 512| 1,658| 223| 1,232| 203

Syrian | 3,248| 1,574| 4,822| 742| 3,843| 237

Turkish | 2,082| 63| 2,145| 45| 2,073| 27

Welsh | 1,549| 982| 2,531| 464| 1,726| 341

Cuban) | 892| 656| 1,548| 187| 1,209| 152

All other peoples | 288| 63| 351| 22| 311| 18

| | | | | |

Total |724,914|301,585|1,026,499|114,668|855,419| 56,412

----------------------------------------------------------------------

Here we have forty-four races or nationalities differentiated. Surely

this is a medley of peoples to be harmonized. Note the vast proportion

of working age.

TABLE III

DEBARRED IN 1905, FOR REASONS GIVEN

---------------------+------+------+----------+----------+--------+--------+

| | |likely to |or |laborers|in |

---------------------+------+------+----------+----------+--------+--------+

African (black) | .. | .. | 107 | .. | 13 | 3 |

Armenian | .. | .. | 25 | 50 | 5 | 78 |

Moravian | .. | 1 | 38 | 8 | 5 | 104 |

and Montenegrin | .. | .. | 314 | 19 | 62 | 37 |

Chinese | .. | 1 | 9 | 74 | 3 | 2 |

Slovenian | .. | .. | 263 | 88 | 32 | 128 |

Cuban | .. | 1 | 22 | 4 | 11 | .. |

and Herzegovinian | .. | .. | 41 | 3 | 13 | 18 |

Dutch and Flemish | 2 | 1 | 51 | 7 | 5 | 41 |

East Indian | .. | .. | 12 | .. | 1 | 3 |

English | 4 | 9 | 328 | 28 | 58 | 144 |

Finnish | 2 | 1 | 33 | 46 | 4 | 89 |

French | .. | 2 | 94 | 9 | 23 | 48 |

German | 5 | 8 | 420 | 100 | 60 | 747 |

Greek | .. | .. | 193 | 22 | 60 | 70 |

Hebrew | 10 | 10 | 1,208 | 353 | 33 | 1,534 |

Irish | 4 | 13 | 175 | 28 | 15 | 243 |

Italian (north) | .. | 2 | 169 | 41 | 42 | 158 |

Italian (south) | 6 | 19 | 1,578 | 247 | 205 | 1,290 |

Japanese | .. | 1 | 238 | 285 | 13 | 2 |

Korean | .. | .. | 4 | 18 | .. | 1 |

Lithuanian | 2 | 1 | 48 | 92 | 8 | 269 |

Magyar | .. | .. | 427 | 103 | 18 | 363 |

Mexican | .. | .. | 7 | 8 | .. | 2 |

Polish | .. | 4 | 444 | 204 | 125 | 991 |

Portuguese | .. | .. | 50 | 7 | 1 | 26 |

Roumanian | .. | .. | 388 | 14 | 111 | 47 |

Russian | .. | 3 | 66 | 27 | 1 | 59 |

Ruthenian (Russniak) | 1 | 1 | 186 | 14 | 13 | 115 |

and Swedes) | 2 | 9 | 152 | 43 | 14 | 253 |

Scotch | .. | 2 | 77 | 10 | 21 | 75 |

Slovak | .. | .. | 275 | 66 | 47 | 491 |

Spanish | .. | 1 | 66 | 6 | 63 | 23 |

Spanish American | .. | .. | 13 | 4 | 1 | 6 |

Syrian | .. | .. | 124 | 155 | 59 | 200 |

Turkish | .. | .. | 46 | 9 | 5 | 17 |

Welsh | .. | 1 | 12 | 1 | 13 | 8 |

(except Cuban) | .. | 1 | 20 | .. | .. | 17 |

All other peoples | .. | .. | 195 | 5 | .. | 74 |

---------------------+------+------+----------+----------+--------+--------+

Grand total | 38 | 92 | 7,898 | 2,198 | 1,164 | 7,776 |

---------------------+------+------+----------+----------+--------+--------+

[Illustration: WAVE OF IMMIGRATION into the United States FROM ALL

COUNTRIES during 87 Years.

ESTIMATED ARRIVALS 1776 TO 1820 250,000 ARRIVALS 1820 TO 1906

24,032,718]

APPENDIX B

TABLE OF ACTS OF CONGRESS CONCERNING IMMIGRATION

1862. Act of February 19, prohibiting building, equipping, loading, or

preparing any vessel licensed, enrolled or registered in the United

States for procuring coolies from any Oriental country to be held for

service or labor.

1875. Act of March 3, providing that any person contracting or

attempting to contract to supply coolie labor to another be guilty of

felony. Excluding convicts, and women imported for immoral purposes,

making this traffic felony.

1882. General Immigration Act of August 3; enlarging excluded list and

establishing head tax.

1885. Contract Labor Act of February 26, to prevent importation of labor

under the padrone or other similar system.

1891. Act of March 3, which codified and strengthened the previous

statutes. Excluded classes increased; encouraging of contract labor to

emigrate by advertisements forbidden; scope of Immigration Bureau

enlarged by establishing office of Superintendent of Immigration (now

Commissioner-General), providing for return of debarred aliens, and

making decision of immigration officers as to landing or debarment

final.

1893. Act of March 3; requiring manifests and their verification;

providing boards of special inquiry; and compelling steamship companies

to post in the offices of their agents copies of the United States

immigration laws, and to call the attention of purchasers of tickets to

them.

1894. Act of August 18; making the decision of the appropriate

immigration officials final as to admission of aliens, unless reversed

by the Secretary of the Treasury on appeal.

1903. Immigration Restriction Act of March 3. (For its main provisions

see p. 70 of this book, footnote 23.)

THE PRINCIPAL EXCLUDED CLASSES

(1) Idiots; (2) insane persons; (3) epileptics; (4) prostitutes; (5)

paupers; (6) persons likely to become public charge; (7) professional

beggars; (8) persons afflicted with a loathsome or contagious disease;

(9) persons who have been convicted of a felony or other crime or

misdemeanor involving moral turpitude, not including those convicted of

purely political offences; (10) polygamists; (11) anarchists (or persons

who believe in or advocate the overthrow by force or violence of the

government of the United States or of all government or forms of laws,

or the assassination of public officials); (12) those deported within a

year from date of application for admission as being under offers,

solicitation, promises or agreements to perform labor or service of some

kind therein; (13) any person whose ticket or passage is paid for with

the money of another, or who is assisted by others to come, unless it is

shown that such person does not belong to one of the excluded classes;

but any person in the United States may send for a relative or friend

without thereby putting the burden of this proof upon the immigrant.

CRIMES UNDER THE ACT OF 1903

At a conference in New York, in the Home Mission study class a young