Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1892-05-20
FEEDING FOREIGNERS.
Chief Elliot Complains of the Num-
Der of Immigrants Who
BECOME A CHARGE TO THE CITY.
Overcome by Surprise at an American
Born Asking for Aid.
NO P4UPERS AMONG THE CHINESE

Yesterday was one full of strange happen
ings atthe Department of Charities. Some of
the incidents drew Chief Elliot out until he
declared that every port in the United
States should be closed against foreigners.
The first little scene occurred when man
who had gotten the worst of it in this battle
of life came in and asked for transportation
to Columbus, o. He told his hard-luck
story in straightforward way to Examiner
Hoffman, while Chief Elliot sat at the op-
pcsite side of the table.
''Were you born in this county?" asked
Mr. Hoffman,.
eyes" was the reply.
''What" exclaimed Chief Elliot, rising
to his feet. 81 want your picture. I'm 60
ing to frame it and hang it up here. 1t is
so seldom an American-born person asks
charity here that he is curiosity. Give
him a ticket"
An Argument Against Immigration.
Then while the poor man smiled and was
being furnished with the requisite bit of
paper the Chief continued: 1--WE have
very few calls for charity from people born
in this country. 1 tell you that if the i'm
country for the past ten years the care of
paupers in this city and in this Common
wealth would be trifie. There is scarcely
an inmate of the Poor Farm that was not
born in Europe. They fill our iails and our
penitentiaries There are too many idle
men in this country now and it would be
better to stop all immigration. 1t will be
hard even to restrict it, for the steamship
lines will make hard fight, but it would
be better for the country in the end.
''Why does the Government single out
the Chinese? They are the least harmful
of anv class we have. have never known
one of them asking for charity. The only
request ever made here by them was for a
low-rate ticket for Chinaman who had his
leg cut of in Boston. The Cinnamon there
had sent him to New York and his country
men there sent him here. He paid for his
ticket and when questioned said the cost of
it would be assessed on all the Cinnamon
here.
Aided by His Fellow-Countrymen
teIn that way he was sent back to China
without it costing this Government a cent.
The Chinese behave themselves and should
be given the right to come here if the worst
classes of Europe are also accorded that
privilege"
The Chief had scarcely ceased talking of
this when a man from the Thirty-second
ward asked the privilege of cheap ticket
to send woman who had been visiting him
back to Kent, o.
"Do you think we are running
cheap summer excursion bureau here?"
asked the Chief. "We are not furn-
ishing tickets to people who are
not paupers nor have we the right
to give them the advantage of the low rates
We get from the railroads Nearly every
day we have requests for these tickets and
We cannot afford to jeopardize our present |
arrangements with the railroads
Before 1 took charge here we had to pay |
full fare for people we sent away. L called |
the railroad men together and made the |
proposition to them under which we now |
operate. They refused, of course, but 1 |
produced an old law passed in 1880 which |
said all common carriers that bring paupers
into a community must take them away at
their own expense. 1 told them 1 would
enforce the law if they did not consent and |
they consented"