POOR RELIEF IN THE UNITED STATES 151 



poor relief of the insane. A very unequal use seems to be made 

 of existing laws. In his report of 1898 Sanborn investigates 

 the problem with special reference to the insane. According 

 to his view, which he supports with reliable figures, there is no 

 doubt that immigrants have greatly contributed to the in- 

 creashig numl^cr of the insane. Thus in Massachusetts during 

 seventeen years the population grew from 1,780,000 to 2,580,- 

 000, the number of the insane from 3,168 to 6,547, which in- 

 dicates a growth in the population of 45 per cent and of 107 

 per cent for the insane. Guenther opposes with great energy 

 the recent tendency to limit immigration ; especially he rejects 

 the suggestion that the immigrants must pass an educational 

 test. He says : 



"No one can desire more than I do that all elements which 

 are dangerous to us should be excluded ; but I do not say that a 

 person physically and mentally soimd and of a good moral 

 character should be refused admission to this land simply be- 

 cause he never had an opportunity to attend school. The 

 chief object of the agitation is to limit immigration, from a 

 self seeking, and on the whole, unjustifiable purpose of pre- 

 venting the restriction of the American laborers' industrial 

 advantage. The fact is overlooked that the newcomers are 

 not only producers, but are also consumers. I am quite clear 

 that the professional labor agitators are responsible for this 

 crusade against immigration. Since they know no other 

 means of keeping back friends, they imagine that the educa- 

 tional test will help them at least a little. If these people 

 could do it, they would put an end to immigration altogether. 

 Senators and representatives in congress know how to use 

 these people for their own ends, and when they preached the 

 limitation of immigration they claimed that they did it for the 

 glory of the people of the United States. They asserted that 

 the law was not directed against the Germans and Scandina- 

 vians, and would scarcely touch the Irish, but they wished to 

 exclude the Italians, the Russian Jews, and the Hungarians, 

 since these are good for nothing and corrupt. What do they 

 care for these people, those who are neither Italians, Russian 

 Jews, nor Hungarians? Such expressions are unworthy of a 

 wise people. The people against whom these restrictions are 



