June 22, 1889: I was casually perusing this issue of The Times, assuming this story would be an entertaining bit of the late 19th century. And then when I got to this portion of the commencement speeches, I exclaimed: "They said WHAT?"

"Clarence Dougherty said in substance:

 "There seems to be some question in the minds of many of our prominent writers as to whether future Americans will be mostly English, German, Irish or Negroes. One thing is certain; that a large proportion of the future population will be Negroes. The only adequate offset to the natural increase of the Negroes is the immigration of white foreigners. In the white population of the future a vast majority will be of recent foreign descent. The average American cannot trace his ancestry very far back without crossing the Atlantic. The coming American will solve the great moral questions which are now coming before the American people. He will justify the greatest confidence in the human race and especially in our own part of it. The future of America is to be preserved by a body of Americans gathered from all sources and loyal to the great moral reforms. The American of the future, by reason of special natural advantages, will be able to excel all other nationalities, but unless we solve the problems that are before us, we must yield the first place to other nations."

Was he actually saying that white people can't reproduce as prolifically as blacks so we better import some from Europe? I guess he was. And he doesn't even mention Asians or any immigrant that would "cross the Pacific." Wow.