ome up through the American schools and
American life. The American has learned not only that this is a free
government, but that its freedom is based on constitutional principles
of an abstract nature. Freedom of the press, trial by jury, separation
of powers, independence of the judiciary, equality of opportunity, and
several other governmental and legal principles have percolated through
his subconscious self, and when he contemplates public questions these
abstract principles have more or less influence as a guide to his
ballot. But the immigrant has none of these. He comes here solely to
earn a better living. The suffrage is nothing to him but a means of
livelihood. Not that he readily sells his vote for money--rather does he
simply "vote for his job." He votes as instructed by his employer or his
political "boss," because it will help his employer's business or
because his boss will get him a job, or will, in some way, favor him and
others of his nationality. There is a noticeable difference between the
immigrant and the children of the immigrant in this regard. The young
men, when they begin to vote, can be appealed to on the ground of public
spirit; their fathers can be reached only on the ground of private
interest.

Now it cannot be expected that the labor-union or any other influence
will greatly change the immigrant in this respect. But the union does
this much: it requires every member to be a citizen, or to have declared
his intention of taking out naturalization papers. The reasons for doing
this are not political; they are sentimental and patriotic. The union
usually takes pride in showing that its members are Americans, and have
foregone allegiance to other countries. In a union like the musicians'
the reasons for requiring citizenship are also protective, since they
serve to exclude transient musical immigrants from American audiences.
Again, the union frees its members from the dictation of employers,
bosses, and priests. Politicians, of course, strive to control the vote
of organized labor, but so disappointing has been the experience of the
unions that they have quite generally come to distrust the leader who
combines labor and politics. The immigrant who votes as a unionist has
taken the first step, in casting his ballot, towards considering the
interests of others, and this is also the first step towards giving
public spirit and abstract principles a place alongside private interest
and his own jo