Daily tobacco leaf-chronicle. (Clarksville, Tenn.) 1890-1895, 1890-03-22
IMMIGRATION.
Strenuous Protests Against Addi.
tiOnal Restriction
Made to the Joint Committee
of the Senate and House.

EditOr Rosewater, of The Omaha Bee,
and Editor BarthOldt, of The st. Louis
Tribune, Make Vigorous ''Kicks"
Against Closing Our Gates to the OPP
pressed of other Countries.
WASHINGTON, March %. The senate
and house committees ON immigration
met in joint session Friday morning and
heard protests against the passage of
any laws restricting foreign immigra-
ton. Edward Rosewater, editor and
proprietor of The Omaha Bee, made the
first address, He stated that he repre-
sented a number of German societies of
other nationalities in the west, and pro-
posed to tell the committee of the views
they entertained on the subject Mr..
Rosewater reviewed briefly the history
of immigration from the time of the
declaration of independence, and stated
that the question naturally followed:
'"ro what extent shall this right of i'm
migration be abridged or extended by
the United States|
At the present time he said the ratio
of immigration was on the decrease.
Since l847 (thirty-three years ago. $685.
635 immigrants had landed at the port
of New York. The time had not yet
come, he believed, when immigration
should be restricted. He was born in
Bohemia; his brothers were born in this
country. He claimed to be as good as
his brothers. The accident of birth did
not make them any better than he. This
belief in pride of National birth he be-
lieved to be a survival of barbaric fanat-
icism. The pauper labors transplanted
on this side of the ocean were generally
supposed TO injure the interests of our
laboring people. This, he contended,
was not to. When the pauper laborers
came to this country their condition be-
came better. Their wants were greater,
and they consequently became greater
consumers The native laborers had
given up the heavier kinds of labor, and
these immigrants were needed to take
their places. The Americans who
worked on the streets and railroads to-
day were comparatively few.
Under Senator Mitchells immigration
bill persons differing from the popoular
Democratic idea would be prohibited
coming to this country. Persons who
believed that there was something wrong
with the machinery of government were
classed as Socialists. Senator MiUchelIs
bill would prohibit their immigration to
America, yet Edward Bellamy and
Henry George, who were rank Socialists,
were allowed to live here and distribute
their books about the country.
In answer to question of Senator
Chandler, Mr.. Rosewater said that he
believed that the present laws were ade-
quate for the exclusion of undesirable
iTnmiUranta TDhnaa xuhO ha1 0np, InitfaH
crime, who were paupers, and who came
under contract were excluded.
Richard Bartholdt, editor of The st.
Louis Tribune, read to the committee a
protest TO congress from conference of
Washington few days ago. The pro-
test cited that the societies Respectfully
but most earnestly object to and remon-
strate against the passage of any and all
of the measures now before your honor
able body, designed to materially change
the present National laws ON immigra-
tion and naturalization" Some OF the
reasons for the protest were that the
proposed immigration measures were
fraught with the same spirit that caused
the founders of the United States TO rise
in rebellion against British tyrant; that
the industry and intelligence of the I'M
migrant have been chief factor in de-
veloping the country; that the immi-
grants have always been devoted patriots
to the United States that the proposed
change is uncalled for that the scheme
proposed is impracticable, and that our
existing laws, if rigidly and honestly
enforced, afford ample protection against
all undesirable and criminal immigra-
tion."