POLITICS WELCOMES THE IRISH

The Irish immigration was earliest in the field, and first to profit by the hit-or-miss methods of naturalization which prevailed in the old shiftless days. They occupied socially at the outset very much the same position that the “New Immigration” has occupied during the past twenty years; but the American politician, to whose mill any kind of a biped who might vote was grist, welcomed it, and quickly taught the Irishman the methods of the game.

How solidly the Irish were installed before the Germans began to arrive in large numbers appears in [Table I], showing the two streams of immigration between 1820 and 1840. Prior to 1840 there was no appreciable inflow from any other countries. It should be added that it was not until 1854, and then only for that one year, that the German immigration overtook the Irish. It did not again equal it until 1867.

TABLE I

Immigration From Ireland and Germany Each Year from 1820 to 1840

YearIrelandGermany
18203,614968
18211,518383
18222,267148
18231,908183
18242,345230
18254,888450
18265,408511
18279,766432
182812,4881,851
18297,415597
18302,7211,976
18315,7722,413
183212,43610,194
18338,6486,988
183424,47417,686
183520,9278,311
183630,57820,707
183728,50823,740
183812,64511,683
183923,96321,028
184039,43029,704