Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1889-01-20

WASHINGTON, January 19.-The report
accompanying the pauper and contract i'm.
migration bill of the Ford committee,
which was published in yesterdays DIS.
PATCH says that it was obvious to the CON-
mittee that it was almost impossible to
properly inspect the large number of per-
sons who arrive at Castle Garden, New
York, daily during the immigrant season,
with the facilities afforded. The testimony
taken puts it beyond question that large
numbers of persons not lawfully entitled to
land in the United States are annually re-
ceived at this port. In fact, one of the
commissioners of immigration himself testi-
fed that the local administration of affairs
at Castle Garden by the method and
system now followed was perfect farce.
The report says that as no inspection is
made of immigrants along the border
between Canada and the u nited States large
numbers Of alien paupers, insane persons
and others not lawfully entitled to enter the
United States by this way, the number
during six months being estimated at sc, 900.
In many instances immigrants coming from
Quebec have, within As hours after their
arrival, been applicants for shelter in New
York almshouses, and the charitable institu-
tions of Wayne county, Mich, are filled to
overfowing from this cause.
WITHIN OUR OWN GATES.
The investigation at Pitts5urg elected the
fact that over 500 immigrant paupers and
insane persons were received at that city
within the last six years, the great majority
of whom were admitted through the port of
New York and that many of these pauper
immigrants bore upon their clothing the
branded name of the workhouse. of which
they had recently been inmates in Ireland.
The investigation at Boston and New
York disclosed much worse state of affairs
in this particular. There are thousands of
alien paupers, insane persons and idiots
annually landed in this country, who be-
come burden and a charge upon the States
where they happen to gain settlement, many
of whom are aided and assisted to immigrate
by the officials Of the country whence they
came Criminals are shipped to the United
States by officials of foreign Governments,
and they have persisted in this course after
having been requested by our Government
to discontinue it.
Of the contract labor law the report says
that it is easily evaded to large extent in
spirit, while the letter is usually observed.
Chinese immigration was not investigated
because Of lack of time.
THE GOOD AND THE BAD.
On the subject of immigration generally
the committee after speaking favorably
of its benefits in the past, say, that from
the inquiry they have made, they believe
that the time has now come to draw the line,
to select the good from the bad and to sift
the wheat from the chaff. To any person
familiar with the results of the committees
investigation it must be apparent that this
country cannot properly assimilate the i'm
migration now coming to our shores.
Take the class OF persons known as An
srchists, for instance. A few years ago
they principally lived in Germany. The
officials of that empire determined to get
rid of them. Their newspapers were sup
pressed and they were forbidden to hold
meetings. They were prosecuted in differ
ent ways, until Germany became an un-
pleasant abiding place for them. They
then emigrated to England in large num-
bers, but the officials there made it so
uncomfortable for them that they came to
the United States. Here they have proven
a lawless, turbulent class, and the whole
country is familiar with their recent acts
of violence.
These disorderly persons do not come
here to uphold and maintain our form of
government. Their object and purpose is
to destroy and tear it to pieces. They hold
any law'in contempt which does not meet
with their individual appreciation, and be-
lieve disobedience to it is perfectly justi6a-
BILE. This class of persons, in the Judgment
of the committee, ought to be rigidly ex-
cluded from entering this country.
IN THE COAL REGIONS.
Generally speaking, the class of immi-
grants who have lately been imported and
employed in the coal regions of this country
are not such, inthe opinion of the commit
tee, as would make desirable inhabitants of
the United States. They are of very low
order of intelligence. They do not come
here with the intention of becoming citi-
zens, their whole purpose being to accumu-
late by parsimonious, rigid and unhealthy
economy, sum of money and then return
to their native land. They live in misera-
BILE sheds like beasts, and the food they eat
is so meager, scant, unwholesome and re-
voting that it would nauseate and disgust
an American workman, and he would find
it difficult to sustain life upon it.
Their habits are vicious, their customs are
disgusting, and the effect of their presence
here upon our social condition is to be de-
plored. They have not the influences, as we
understand them, of home; they do not
know what the word means, and, in the
opinion of the committee, no amount of ef-
fort would improve their morals or "Amer-
icanize" this class of immigrants. They
have been brought here in such numbers
and have been employed at such low wages
that it has resulted in their replacing the
American citizen who formerly performed
this class of labor, until now there are COM
paratively few Americans engaged in min
ing coal in Pennsylvania.
AGENTS TO BLAME.
The agents Of steamship companies in
portions of Europe have been active in in
ducing, encouraging, and stimulating i'm
migration to this country through false rep
resentations. The report condemns the prac.
tice which has prevailed among certain for
eigners resident in this country of import
ing men for the purpose of contracting them
on railroad works, and keeping them in a
state of almost abject slavery. Reference is
also made to the daily crossing of Canadian
laborers, it being shown that about 500 |
carpenters daily labor in Detroit,
while the same number of Americans lie |
idle for lack of employment. Inconclusion
the committee says:
Certainly the effect of the present unre-
stricted system of immigration as applicable |
to the conditions under consideration upon |
the industrial situation of this country has
been very bad, and the committee believe
that the time has come when immigration
should be more effectively regulated; that |
persons who imnigrate to the United States
should at least be composed of those who in
good faith desire to become its citizens and |
are worthy to be SUCH"
A MINORITY REPORT.
Mr.. Spinola does not agree with the ma
iority of the committee in regard to either
The report submitted or the bill presented.
In minority report he states that ne is op-
posed to head tax of more than 81 for each
immigrant, believing this sum to be sufi-