The farmers' union. (Memphis, Mo.) 1891-1895, 1891-06-04
PROPER PROTECTION.
THE AMERICAN TEMPLE OF
FREEDOM BEING STORMED.
some of the Ways in which That Hydra
Headed Monster. the Money Power,
Works to Enslavc the People The Inn
migration Question Cons Idle: ed.

A correspondent in New York City
writes me on the subjects of immigra-
ton and the ballot. After alluding to
the lynching in New Orleans, the shoot
ing and killing of men i'll the coke re-
gionS. and other recent sad occurrences
in which newly arrived immigrants have
been cunccrned-in order to show the
Importance of the matters mentioned
he asks me. substantially. the following
questions
1. To what extent, in yonr opinion. are
the people of the United States iu>tiiiabie
III excluding the people of other countries
from migrating to this country:
.. Ii migration tn his country should he
conditiuliiily prohibited or modified. what
plan or method would you suggest for sitt-
ing the iminig igrants, on their arrival or other
wise!
B. Would YOU think n longer residence
than five years desirable, on the part of
J foreigners. before admitttnre to citizen
, shipt
1. What is your opinion as tn an ednca-
tunal or other test than that of manhood
qualification for citizenship on the
part of foreigners: OR do you think IL prop
or wutchfuint,,S as to the character of I'M
t migrants sufficient, without imposing addi-
| tinnal restrictions upon the admission of
: Gn Immigrant to suffrage:
5. What additional thoughts occur to
your mind for a fuller ulocusSton OF THESE
very important subjects:
| In general way reply To the above
, as follows:
In my opinion il is the right and the duty
| of the American people t. protect them
| selves and their inst tui IONS from al. out
| side dangerous in1ru>iUn- by any and all
necessary means. our people. the public
peace and our free Institutions must be pro-
tcct"d and defended 1T al! hazards. ! think
| that the hurdrH>Uli.r. the vicious and all
criminal elasSs, of foreign countries should
| he rigidly excluded from migrating int" the
United States Ivy positive national laws
strict v enforced. We have quite enough 'sf
t the vicious and criminal Glasses among our
| own population. The United States shuuld
no longer br used :I> penal settlement for
| the nations of Europe. Asia. and the rest Of
I til,, world. To which they send their
worthless and btIrrnsoin" classes whom
! they can no longer feed or govern.
a. a practical matter. Under present cir
cumstancC~. would proceed by strictly
| business methods III my opinion that Is
| the true plan. and no hostiites toward
| foreigners. such. are necessary. In
| every case where a foreigner cnntrmpiates
/ migrating to the United states | would re
! quirc that he She would visit III person
| the American CONSUL residing in that Coun-
| try. and i'll hl~ presence establish the fact
| that the said foreigner il ncithe IL criminal
| nor u paupCr. nor afflicted with any danger
! o,s OF inftrtinti> disease. These facts be
! in- established, il would he the duty of the
! said American consul to issue to the appii-
! cailt u cert ttcatr of the examinations bear
! ins the name and minute. description of the
i applicant person. and rnb"dy ling his state
ment that the bearer desires Ia proceed Ia
| the United States with the intention Of he
| Coming citizen thereof. OR if the
| alleged intention j. merely TO visit the
! United States temporarily. then the S:tin"
| examination. certificate aud statement
| shall still hr necessary.
| 1t will be the further duty, also. for the
intending immigrant to deposit i'll some re-
! sponsiblr bank. designated hy the American
| consul. the sum of SlUt to the credit IF the
| American government as a pledge Of good
| faith. With the said consular certificate
! and the certificate of his bank deposit in
| hand. the intending Immigrant may now
! claim the right to migrate to the nlied
| States. or to visit the same for IA term not
| exceeding on" year. If at the end of one
| year the resident or visiting alien has shown
| him herself to hc honest. law abiding and
| seIf-supporting. that he or She has befome
! neither j criminal nor pauper- nor the
| diSSt ninator of Il dangerous or infectious
! disease, then he or She shall reccis" the
| original bank deposit If <l03. But IN cast
! Of bad faith on the part of an Immigrant or
| visiting alien. then the deposit III hand shall
! be used by the American government tc
| return the said alien To his or her native
| country.
Aliens arriving in this country after thu
| passage OF law as herein outlined. and moi
| having complied with its conditions. >hif
! be required Immediately to comply with tn.
| same by official examination. and by the
/ deposit of 500 as n pledge of good faith:
| otherwise it will be the duty Of the Amcri-
| can government to Immediately haniSL said
| alien beyond the frontier of the United
| States with orders not to return Il the >ai!l
been complied with.
! I In MY Judgment residence of FIVE years
for an alien to become voting citizen i
, long enough ! would not require any test
of an acceptable alien not applicable t" I'll.
! nativc-born man. would require that HI
be Of full lawful age and not lihuriu- under
| any legal disability, alike applicable tn ma
tive and adopted citizens. DETERMINATIONS
| among citizens Of one common country are
! odiouS and should not be tolerated. y per
son who is u citizen should be Il fully en-
franchised citizen, with all the rights. priv
! ilcgcs and duties of other citizens whethcl
| native or foreign born.
The educational test for voting is thu
mos; reasonable of all that are mentioned
| yet | consider it neither practicable no
| beneficial. Somebody must be the judge II
to educational qualifications. That some
body. in the very nature of things. will h
| partial. and hence incompetent. Nor i
mere literary ability Il sufficient proof o
either sound sense or virtue. Not infTe
uuently the fairly well educated, rs thu
world goes. are actually our most vfcion
and dangerous persons. Generally :tnt
practically speaking, men must be governed
either by the ballot ur by the bullet. Permi
nen to vote. and teach them that at th'
ballot-boX is the only place for the redreS
of grievances. and they are cstOppca from
any plausible excuse for n resort to violence
Shut them off from the ballot with no peace
t.t.s To Gnt g. rom
and the bomb and the bullet are their readi
est weapons Of defense; and, with justice
on the side Of the oppressed. the people a
large are very likely to lend them thei
kindly sympathy. greatly intcnsifying ant
ma@nifying the evils to society. l thini
that proper wutchfulncss in foreign coun
tries and on our own shores. with ou
| schools. churches, and other cdncationa
a>d civilizing forces and influences in ful
activity, are our best means OF safety.
! A ballot is II recorded opinion, and. as
| rule. should be east by persons capable q
forming and recording opinions and. q
course. by persons friendly tn the in>titu
| tOns and government under which the,
| claim and enjoy protection. Infants idiots
aliens and criminals. who are incapable, pc
!, | force of circumstances. OF forming and re
, ! cordng opinions friendly to law and ordcrl.
| government. should not be allowed TIN
use of the ballot. Under present laws. per
, sons are purged or freed from infancy at tn
age of twenty-onc years. and hence becom
i, | voters. Aliens are pLrged from their dis
abilities under the laws of naturalization
i Idiots and criminals should not be allowc
the of the ballot while they remain
such. With these exceptions ! think rep
.resentaton and taxation should 20 to
, | gether.' | would not favor any test as t
education, race or sex. All persons in thi
country should enjoy equal rights an
, franchises as far rs practicable. and al
should have reason to feel in their heart
, the same patriotic love for our free institu
i tiOnS.
This plan is best. in my opinion. as mer
matter of policy. 1t is much cheaper t
| govern men by the ballot than by the bullet
, For three hundred years We have treatc
/, the American Indian as an alien. Thoug
he is in our midst. surrounded by and inter
mingled with our people and their institu
! tions, he is still an alien and d troubIesom
! foreigner, costing millions to keep hiI
quiet. The European and the African ceas
IN ha n tbny haromo nj