Date: 4-19-2001

SPECIAL ENGLISH THE MAKING OF A NATION #137 - IMMIGRATION LATE 1800S, PART 2

By FRANK BEARDSLEY

VOICE ONE:

THE MAKING OF A NATION -- A PROGRAM IN SPECIAL ENGLISH.

(THEME)

IN OUR LAST PROGRAM, WE TOLD HOW THE FLOW OF IMMIGRATION TO THE
UNITED STATES BEGAN TO CHANGE IN THE EIGHTEEN-EIGHTIES. BEFORE
THEN, MOST OF THE IMMIGRANTS CAME FROM CENTRAL AND NORTHERN
EUROPE. FROM BRITAIN, IRELAND, GERMANY, AND THE SCANDINAVIAN
COUNTRIES.

THE LARGEST NUMBER CAME FROM BRITAIN. THEY FOUND IT EASY TO
SETTLE IN THE UNITED STATES. THEY SHARED WITH THE AMERICANS THE
SAME LANGUAGE AND MANY OF THE SAME TRADITIONS. SOME OF THESE
EARLY IMMIGRANTS WERE SKILLED WORKERS WHO FOUND GOOD JOBS IN
AMERICAN INDUSTRY. OTHERS WERE FARMERS WHO CAME TO AMERICA FOR
FREE LAND.

VOICE TWO:

AFTER EIGHTEEN-EIGHTY, THE FLOOD OF IMMIGRATION FROM NORTHERN AND
CENTRAL EUROPE BEGAN TO FALL. NOW, MOST IMMIGRANTS WERE COMING
FROM EASTERN AND SOUTHERN EUROPE. FROM RUSSIA, POLAND, ROMANIA,
ITALY, GREECE.

THESE NEW IMMIGRANTS WERE DIFFERENT FROM THOSE WHO CAME EARLIER.
MOST DID NOT SPEAK ENGLISH. MOST WERE POOR FARMERS WHO HAD FEW

SPECIAL SKILLS. MOST HAD LITTLE OR NO EDUCATION.

THEY WERE, HOWEVER, GOOD WORKERS. THEY DID NOT PROTEST WORKING
LONG HOURS FOR LOW PAY. THEY DID NOT DEMAND BETTER WORKING
CONDITIONS. THEY USUALLY REFUSED TO JOIN LABOR UNIONS OR TAKE
PART IN STRIKES.

VOICE ONE:

AMERICAN FACTORY OWNERS WERE PLEASED WITH THE NEW IMMIGRANTS.
THEY GAVE THEM JOBS FORMERLY HELD BY HIGHER-PAID AMERICAN
WORKERS. THE OWNERS ASKED THE NEW WORKERS TO WRITE LETTERS TO
FRIENDS STILL IN THE OLD COUNTRY, URGING THEM TO COME TO AMERICA.

AND THEY CAME BY THE HUNDREDS OF THOUSANDS TO TAKE JOBS IN STEEL
FACTORIES IN PENNSYLVANIA AND THE COAL MINES OF WEST VIRGINIA.
THEY WORKED IN THE LUMBER CAMPS OF MICHIGAN AND IN THE STOCKYARDS
AND THE MEAT-PACKING PLANTS OF CHICAGO.

AMERICAN WORKERS THEN BEGAN TO PROTEST, AS THEIR JOBS WERE
FILLED BY IMMIGRANTS WHO WERE HAPPY TO WORK FOR LESS MONEY.

VOICE TWO:

THE PROTESTS WERE ESPECIALLY BITTER ON THE PACIFIC COAST WHERE
THOUSANDS OF CHINESE IMMIGRANTS WERE SETTLING IN CALIFORNIA.

THE CHINESE ARRIVED THERE AFTER EIGHTEEN-FIFTY TO HELP BUILD
WESTERN RAILROADS. AFTER THE RAILROADS WERE COMPLETED, THESE
CHINESE NEW-COMERS TURNED TO OTHER JOBS. MORE CAME EVERY YEAR.
BY THE EIGHTEEN-SEVENTIES, CALIFORNIA'S POLITICAL LEADERS WERE
DEMANDING AN END TO FURTHER IMMIGRATION FROM CHINA.

IN EIGHTEEN-EIGHTY-TWO, CONGRESS PASSED A LAW THAT BARRED CHINESE
IMMIGRATION FOR TEN YEARS. THE LAW WAS EXTENDED FOR ANOTHER TEN
YEARS, THEN MADE PERMANENT.

VOICE ONE:

THE IMMIGRATION LAW OF EIGHTEEN-EIGHTY-TWO PUT OTHER LIMITS ON
IMMIGRATION. IT CLOSED THE COUNTRY TO CRIMINALS, THE MENTALLY
ILL, AND PERSONS WHO COULD NOT SUPPORT THEMSELVES. LATER, OTHERS
WERE ADDED TO THIS LIST. PERSONS WITH DISEASES. ANARCHISTS.
ALCOHOLICS.

THIS, HOWEVER, DID NOT GREATLY REDUCE IMMIGRATION FROM EASTERN
AND SOUTHERN EUROPE. AND OPPONENTS OF IMMIGRATION DEMANDED
STRONGER ACTION.

SOME PROPOSED A LITERACY TEST. IMMIGRANTS WOULD HAVE TO SHOW
THAT THEY COULD READ AND WRITE. AN IMMIGRANT WHO COULD NOT,
WOULD NOT BE PERMITTED TO ENTER THE COUNTRY.

VOICE TWO:

SENATOR HENRY CABOT LODGE OF MASSACHUSETTS URGED CONGRESS TO PASS
SUCH A LAW. IN A SENATE SPEECH, LODGE SAID:

"IF WE CARE FOR THE WELFARE, THE WAGES, OR THE STANDARD OF LIFE
OF AMERICAN WORKINGMEN, WE SHOULD TAKE IMMEDIATE STEPS TO LIMIT
FOREIGN IMMIGRATION. THERE IS NO DANGER TO OUR WORKINGMEN FROM
THE COMING OF SKILLED WORKERS OR OF TRAINED AND EDUCATED MEN.
BUT THERE IS A SERIOUS DANGER FROM THE FLOOD OF UNSKILLED,
IGNORANT FOREIGN LABOR.

"THIS LABOR NOT ONLY TAKES LOWER WAGES, BUT ACCEPTS A STANDARD OF
LIVING SO LOW THAT THE AMERICAN WORKINGMAN CANNOT COMPETE WITH
IT."

SENATOR LODGE CONTINUED.

"A LITERACY TEST WILL BEAR VERY LIGHTLY, IF AT ALL, UPON
ENGLISH-SPEAKING IMMIGRANTS OR GERMANS, SCANDINAVIANS, AND
FRENCH. THE RACES WHICH WOULD SUFFER MOST UNDER A LITERACY TEST
WOULD BE THOSE WITH WHICH THE ENGLISH-SPEAKING PEOPLE HAVE NEVER
UNITED, AND WHO ARE MOST DIFFERENT FROM THE GREAT MAJORITY OF THE
PEOPLE OF THE UNITED STATES."

CONGRESS PASSED THE PROPOSAL. PRESIDENT [GROVER] CLEVELAND,
HOWEVER, VETOED IT. HE SAID THE NATION HAD NOTHING TO FEAR FROM
IMMIGRANTS WHO COULD NOT READ OR WRITE. HE SAID THERE WAS
GREATER DANGER FROM SOME OF THE EDUCATED IMMIGRANTS WHO URGED
VIOLENCE AND ANARCHY.

IT TOOK A NUMBER OF YEARS BEFORE CONGRESS WAS ABLE TO PASS A LAW
DEMANDING A LITERACY TEST FOR IMMIGRANTS.

VOICE ONE:

ANOTHER PROBLEM TROUBLED PRESIDENT CLEVELAND. HIGH TARIFFS --
TAXES ON IMPORTS.

SOON AFTER HIS ELECTION, CLEVELAND DECIDED TO LEARN WHAT HE COULD
ABOUT THE TARIFF. "I'M SORRY TO SAY," SAID CLEVELAND, "BUT THE
TRUTH IS, I KNOW NOTHING ABOUT THE TARIFF."

CLEVELAND STUDIED ALL THE INFORMATION HE COULD FIND ABOUT THE
TARIFF. HE FOUND THAT THE TARIFF WAS USED NOT ONLY TO GET MONEY
FOR THE GOVERNMENT, BUT TO PROTECT AMERICAN INDUSTRY FROM FOREIGN
COMPETITION. THE TARIFFS HAD BEEN RAISED SO HIGH THAT THEY WERE
PRODUCING MORE MONEY THAN THE GOVERNMENT NEEDED.

CLEVELAND DECIDED THAT HIGH TARIFFS WERE WRONG. HE TOLD OTHER
DEMOCRATIC LEADERS THAT HE WOULD TRY TO GET THEM REDUCED.

THE POLITICIANS WARNED HIM NOT TO TRY. THEY SAID HE WOULD ONLY
LOSE THE SUPPORT OF BUSINESSMEN. THEY SAID HE WOULD NEED
CAMPAIGN MONEY FROM BUSINESS IF HE EXPECTED TO BE ELECTED
PRESIDENT AGAIN. BUT CLEVELAND REJECTED THEIR ADVICE. HE SAID,
"WHAT IS THE USE OF BEING ELECTED OR RE-ELECTED, IF YOU DON'T
STAND FOR SOMETHING?"

VOICE TWO:

SO, LATE IN EIGHTEEN-EIGHTY-SEVEN, CLEVELAND SENT A TARIFF
MESSAGE TO CONGRESS.

HE SAID IT WAS WRONG TO RAISE MORE TAX MONEY THAN THE GOVERNMENT
NEEDED. WHEN THIS HAPPENS, HE SAID, MONEY IS WITHDRAWN FROM THE
PEOPLE'S USE AND KEPT IN THE PUBLIC TREASURY, WHERE IT DOES NO
GOOD. IT THREATENS THE ECONOMY AND INVITES DISHONEST ATTEMPTS TO
USE THE MONEY FOR PRIVATE INTERESTS.

THE GOVERNMENT, HE SAID, RECEIVED MOST OF THIS UNNECESSARY TAX
MONEY FROM TARIFFS. HE SAID THE PRESENT TARIFF LAWS WERE
VICIOUS, UNFAIR, AND ILLOGICAL. HE SAID THEY RAISED THE PRICES
OF ALL IMPORTED GOODS WHICH COULD BE TAXED. THEY ALSO LED
AMERICAN MANUFACTURERS TO RAISE THEIR PRICES AS HIGH AS THOSE
CHARGED FOR IMPORTED GOODS.

CLEVELAND SAID SOME MEN HAD BECOME RICH, BECAUSE PROTECTIVE
TARIFFS LET THEM CHARGE HIGH PRICES. HE NOTED THAT AMERICAN
BUSINESSMEN LIKE TO TALK ABOUT THE STRENGTH AND SUCCESS OF
AMERICAN INDUSTRY. BUT HE SAID THAT WHEN THE QUESTION OF THE
TARIFF IS RAISED, BUSINESSMEN CLAIM THAT INDUSTRY IS WEAK. THEY
SAY THEY CANNOT COMPETE WITH LOW-PRICED FOREIGN PRODUCTS.

VOICE ONE:

CLEVELAND SAID HE DID NOT PROPOSE THAT ALL TARIFFS BE ENDED.HE
SAID SOME WERE NEEDED TO RAISE MONEY FOR THE GOVERNMENT. AND HE
SAID SOME INDUSTRIES COULD NOT EXIST UNLESS THEY WERE PROTECTED
BY TARIFFS. BUT HE SAID TARIFFS SHOULD NOT LET SOME INDUSTRIES
MAKE HUGE PROFITS.

CLEVELAND WARNED THAT IT WOULD BE FAR BETTER TO MAKE SAFE,
CAREFUL, AND INTELLIGENT CHANGES IN THE TARIFF LAWS NOW.
OTHERWISE, HE SAID, THERE MIGHT COME A TIME WHEN AN ANGRY PUBLIC
WOULD DEMAND RADICAL AND SWEEPING CHANGES.

VOICE TWO:

THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES MOVED QUICKLY TO PASS A MODERATE
BILL THAT WOULD REDUCE MANY OF THE TARIFFS. THE LEGISLATION --
CALLED THE MILLS BILL -- WAS EXACTLY WHAT CLEVELAND WANTED. BUT
THE BILL RAN INTO TROUBLE IN THE SENATE, WHERE REPUBLICANS HAD
CONTROL.

SENATOR WILLIAM ALLISON, A REPUBLICAN FROM IOWA, PROPOSED A
DIFFERENT TARIFF BILL. IT WAS ONE THAT WOULD INCREASE
TARIFFS...NOT REDUCE THEM.

THE SENATE DEBATED THE TARIFF QUESTION FOR MONTHS. AND SINCE IT
WAS EIGHTEEN-EIGHTY-EIGHT -- A PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION YEAR -- THE
TARIFF BECAME AN IMPORTANT ELECTION ISSUE.

THE DEMOCRATS PROMISED LOW TARIFFS THAT WOULD MEAN LOWER PRICES
FOR THE PEOPLE. THE REPUBLICANS DEFENDED HIGH TARIFFS, WHICH
THEY SAID WERE NECESSARY TO PROTECT AMERICAN INDUSTRY AND LABOR.

THE DEMOCRATS NOMINATED GROVER CLEVELAND FOR ANOTHER FOUR-YEAR
TERM. THE REPUBLICANS HELD THEIR NOMINATING CONVENTION TWO WEEKS
LATER.

THAT WILL BE OUR STORY NEXT WEEK.

(THEME)

VOICE ONE:

YOU HAVE BEEN LISTENING TO THE SPECIAL ENGLISH PROGRAM, THE
MAKING OF A NATION. YOUR NARRATORS WERE ROBERT BOSTIC AND
JACK WEITZEL. OUR PROGRAM WAS WRITTEN BY FRANK BEARDSLEY.

Source: www.voa.gov/special/