New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1891-04-17
TO REGULATE IMMIGRATION.
A TALK WITH SENATOR CHANDLER.
HIS VIEWS ON THE PRESENT LAW AND SOME
OF THE PROPOSITIONS FOR MAKING
1T MORE STRINGENT.

HIS VIEWS ON THE PRESENT LAW AND SOME
OF THE PROPOSITIONS FOR MAKING
1T MORE STRINGENT.
senator william E. Chandler chairman Of the Senate
Committee on immigration, is in New.Yors. He told
Tribune reporter who him yesterday at the thth
Avenue Hotel that the committee has authority to MAKE
an Investigation before the next Congress meets ana
that he has here to find out whether there Is any
need OF taking testimony in reference to the misconduct
OF steamship companies. "If necessary" SAID me-
shall get subcommittee or the whole committee TO-
gether for that purpose. But don't think it VIII be
necessary for think the steamship companies nave
come TO realizing OF the fact that the laws
must be obeyed, and that if they allow immigrants 10
land who have no right to land refuse to take BACK
immigrants whom they are required to take back they
will soon penalties and obstacles piled upon them
that will compel them TO obey. win make some IN
quiries among the immigration officers. saw Secre-
tary Foster this morning and talked with him. There
have been stories in the papers about immigrants from
Europe coming into this country by way Of Canada.
want to learn whether there is any foundation for
these Stories and part Of my conversation with secre
tary Foster In reference to them He has given
instructions to inspectors Of customs along the borders
TO report on the matter"
Speaking Of the new immigration law Senator Chand'
Ter said
The present law defines accurately the classes
Of immigrants that to DO excluded, ana II e4-
pressly requires more stringent and special nvesga-
ton Of the of assisted mmgrans-those who have
their tickets paid for by other people. Then 1t has
penalty clauses moro carefully worded IL VIII
make the steamship companies stop the abuses OF
which they guilty In bringing in people Just TO get
the passage money. There is no doubt that the
Secretary of the Treasury and the Congress OF the
United States. whether not they Increase the ex-
oluded classes to keep out as matter Of fact
the objectionable persons whom the present law ex-
cludes The laws going to be enforced, whether
the steamship companies like IL or not"
Secretary Foster" said the reporter has expressed
himself in favor OF restricted immigration; and when
ne was asked what should be the test Of admission,
he said that it should be eligibility for citizenship from
D moral and physical standpoint
Secretary Foster stated tho case admirably said
Senator Chandler The Senate Committee and House
Committee, which made Joint investigation, probed
this question of enlargng the excluded classes The
idea most talked about that Of educational
qualification. But difficulties arose at once, because
immigrants come in families How much education
will be made the condition of the admission OF family
Should the father be able to read? Should tho mother
Or should the children be able TO reads Suppose the
father can read and the mother cannot, will You ex-
clude the family? Suppose the father and mother can
not read, but have bright, welleducated chidren7
How much education in a family will let it in, and
what member Of a family has to have the educaton9
Don't you see the difficulty Of making educational
test applied TO families? The only real test is whether
immigrant is a good immigrant or bad Immigrant
We have not reached the point in this country yet
of excluding good immigrants, people who will make
good citizens We have not reached the point of say
Ing you shall not Gomez and therefore, as we have
not reached that point and are not likely to reach
it for many years, what chance is there for enlargnS
the excluded classes2 do not know Of any. We only
made addition to the excluded lst-poygsmists.
Various bills were introduced for excluding Socialists
and Anarchists, and we considered these. But who
1,tr4 -1an
IS to be excluded? man might theoretically be
very much of Socialist very much of an Anarchist
and yet not be law-breaker and we found we could
not carry through Congress without difficulty, If we
tried prohibition against the coming Of Socialists and
Anarchists SO, adding merely the word polygamiss'
to the exclusion list confined ourselves to making
more stringent the methods of keeping out the classes
already excluded, and we prepared very efficient
law. 1t is an admirable law, ana is a great help"
"Do you suppose it is possible TO regulate immi-
grafton entirely from this side, without making some
provision for restriction Investigation In European
cOuntriesls "'
sThat was considered fully About half dozen
bills were introduced requiring immigrants to bring
certificates from the Consuls. introduced bill OF
that sort and did senator Morrill,. We found that
very few Congressman willing to make that a
compulsory requirement Then drew up at Mr.
OWENS suggestion bill allowing immigrants to get
such certificate If they chose providing that Con-
sus might examine as TO the fitness of the immigrant
or MS Ialihly 10 CONC llJO OHltSu uiNcT
the existing law, and TO receive such evidence as
the immigrant chose to give Them and then issue a
certificate which the immigrant could present here for
what il was worth. Or he could come without 1t il
he pleased and submit to a more rigid examination
here than If he had a COnsups certificate. But we
could not Get members of Congress to agree to
that, and we dropped 1t out
"Tis italian Incident has created sentiment more
favorable TO stringent immigration laws than existed
before, but whether when December comes the ma
iorty of Congressman will be willing to make the laws
much more stringent than they now are or to make
any machinery, like the compulsory requirement
OF Consular certificate, is doubtful. But different
bOdies-the Union League Club OF New-YOrt, for in
stance-are passing resolutions the subject, and
doubleday where there about dozen bills intro
duced In the last Congress- there will be two dozen in
the next, and they viii all come to the two com
mttees.'