San Antonio daily light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1886-1907, 1888-09-25

come citizen OF the Unlteu o'aSeo'
Taking all the immigrants together
within the last eight years, 4,2oC,oe0
people have come to the united
States. A large proportion OF these
people were common laborers,. great
number of whom had come here by
reason OF false statements as 10
the condition of the labor market
here, and the effect upon the laborlng
men of the United Stairs by this
forced, induced and stimulating lnml-
grafton, has been very depressing.
In Boston the committee discovered
that all the fishermen engaged in the
New England fishing industries, sew
enty-five per cent. were aliens, SUB
iects of Great Britain, and also that
five thousand people go 10 the port OF
Boston every year from Nova Scotia
and New Brunswick to work in this
country during the summer months
and to 90 back in the fall. The evil
dence also disclosed that society eX-
lists in England whose object is the
expectation of paupers and poor peo-
pie. and that in one year there were
over four thousand such persons
landed in Boston who were as
sisted to immigrate by that So
ciety. Also that in Munich, Ba-
varia, there exists a society for the
expectation of incorrigible criminals
men who are totally lost to reforma-
ton. Prince Leopold is the honorary
president of it, and in the year 1886
that society shipped thirty-seven such
men to the United States. England
and Switzerland both encourage their
convicts to emigrate to America, and
in many instances have released con-
yicts from prison before the expiration
of their sentences, upon the expressed
condition that they would come here;
and the officials have paid the pas
sage of those criminals and shipped
them here. These are the leading
features so far developed of the report
to be presented to Congress of an
investigation which cannot but lead
to important results. We notice that
Mr.. Ford has been nominated for the
Fifty-first Congress. His services to
the present one are hopeful of his
great usefulness in the future. Speak
ing recently at meeting of his sup
porters he said: II believe the time
has come when we should really and
truly protect the American laborer. |
would let no immigrant come here UNI
less he intended to become citizen of
the United States. Induced and
stimulated immigration should cease.
The importation of lab0rers under con-
tract should be stopped; and as one
member of the committee L will say
We propose to stop it if we can. We
shall offer measure and endeavOr to
pass it before the present session ad-
journs. If not then at the next session
of the present congress; and if we can
not do it in this congress we will do it
in the next congress. That is to say,
so far as 1 am concerned, provided l
am reelected to the next congress-"
The work done by Mr.. Ford is not Of a
partisan character, and good citizens
of every political faith recognize its
merits and usefulness.
Melbourne H. Ford, who lives at
Grand Rapids, Michigan was born at
Saline, that state, on June 80, lS49.
He was educated at the Michigan ag-
ricultural college, and at the United
States naval academy at Annapolis,
MARYLAND. Mr.. Ford enlisted in the
navy towards the close of the war.
When the struggle was ended the
president appointed him a midship-
man. He is fond of telling the story
of the manner in which he passed his
| examination. The congressman is
blind in one eye, but the examining
committee did not discover it, al
| though his examination as to color
blindness was a most rigid one. AS a
| hand was held first over one eye and
then over the other while he called of
the number of marks on piece of pa
per held some distance from him,
| there could be no doubt about his eye.
sight. Young Ford had questioned a
boy who had just been examined
about the examination he had passed
through. and it so happened that the
same ques tons We're put to Ford as t
the other boy. which was not usua
| thing. In a few years the midshlp
mans eyes troubled him so that M
was obliged to resign from the navy
He then returned to his native state
where he studied law and StemOgra
phy. He was admitted to the bar il
1873, but was never engaged III the
practice of the law. Four years pre-
viOusly, in 1874, Mr.. Ford was ap
pointed an official stenographer. III
is still in the business, having part
ner to take care of the firms interest
i'm his absence at Washington. IL
18S5-S6 he was member of the Michi
gan legislature. He was elected t
the Fiftieth congress as a democrat il
republican district. The congress
man is the youngest member OF tn
Grand Army OF the Republic in tn
state of Michigan. and is a brigh
and popular fellow with a genius 70
hard work, a good presence an
superior qualifications as a speaker.