Reporter and farmer. [volume] (Webster, Day County, Dakota [S.D.]) 188?-1946, 1892-12-08
IMMIGRATION,
A SERIOUS Problem I'll Sooner
or Later Must be Defn-
itely Solved.
General Nettleton Til inks New
Methods Should be A dopted
At Once.
A System That Would Do swav
with Many ofthe Ell isting
Evils.

JSNAS ~ mas Su pAlUpn
to the thoughtful citiz ems OF tn
United States that at a very earl
DAY the question OF foreign immi
grafton must become an uppermos
one In this country. Even is not an
ticipated have resulted I'm rrecipj
tatlng this problem and Calling to /
the interested attention u OF only o
cur own people but of the civilized
world. The breaking out OF Asiati,
cholera in portions of the O d Worlt
from which we were receivi ng man,
immigrants, followed by the sam,
panic on both sides of the Atlantic
and the adoption of rigid q~uarantin,
regulations at the several American
ports, has, in spite of an &C tive polit
ical campaign, almost m onopolizet
for weeks the interest and attention
of the public.
The quarantine regulation Is adopted
by the United States Cover nment t.
prevent a cholera invasion and pro
tect the lives of our people has re
suited in a practical cessation of i'm
migration for the time being. TIL,
great and perfectly equipped immi.
grant landing station at Ellis ISLAND
in New York harbor is prS ctically
idle and the steamships plying be
tween our ports and those of Europe
are carrying no steerage pas iengers
Fol the first time within the memory
OF the present generation there is Z
temporary, but complete sto ppage o.
the wonderful tide Of westw ard-mov
ing people. The migration o ( nation,
toward the setting sun h as for 3
moment ceased, and that without
any previous intention on the part OF
Europe or America.
1t is to be presumed that the, regu
lations and limitations which, have
borne this Incidental fruit, and
which are necessary to prevent our
land from being ravaged during 1895
by the cholera pestilence, will be con-
tinued with whatever thorous,hness
and duration may be necessary to ac-
complish the desired result. Public
opinion east, west, north AMI south
seems to be absolutely unaniD ,ous in
demanding a most vigorous a nd per-
sistent policy in the enforcen lent of
our sanitary laws, and certainly there
is no disposition on the part of either
federal or local authorities to relax
one jot or little of their vigilance at
the expense of the public health.
From present appearances the
cholera episode of 1892 will resu 1t in
diminishing the arrival of immi-
grants in the United States during
the present calendar year nearly one
third, or by about two hundred
thousand souls. This fact reminds
us afresh of the tremendous volume
of the incoming tide under ordinary
Meantime, with the brief period of
enforced suspension Of immigration,
and with congress about to reass embl e
under conditions which are sure to
turn its attention in this direction,
our people are given an opportunity
to consider with the advantage of a
wholly new light what should be the
for the future in regard to i'm
Speaking Of one citizen only, l have
no hesitancy in saying that there
should be a new departure in this
respect-not a radical revolution, but
such a sensible change in our method
Of treating this great interest rs ex-
perience distinctly shows to be leces-
sary to the public welfare. The
primary element in such a departure
in my judgment, to be the
transference Of the principal work of
immigrants from the port of
arrival in the United States to the
ports Of departure in Europe. II is
unbusinesslike, Ineffective and in
human to permit hundreds of thous-
ands of poor people annually to come
from their HON es on the other side
Of the Atlantic, spending in transit
the bulk of their little savings for
transportation, and then undertake
to winnOw out those who belong to
prohibited and undesirable classes
and send them back across the seas
heartbroken and stranded. There is
neither time nor opportunity for such
a thorough inspection after arrival
at the American port as is necessary
to accomplish what the American
demand shall be done. There
be a preliminary, and yet
efficient, examination of all intending
immigrants before embarkation at
the European ports. 1t would be
better still if this preliminary ex I'M
nation or inspection could be carried
out in the immediate neighbour God
where the intending immigrants
Thus they would be saved
the loss and distress attending ven
a Journey to the nearest seaport, if
they are to be turned back again as
being ineligible.
A system of this kind is easily out
lined, and can be carried out with
out difficulty or great expense. The
great steamship companies have al
ready indicated their willingness to
with the United Sta ties
government in organizing and exc
cutting just such a system of Europ can
inspection. These great corporations
have the best possible facilities for
this aid in their thousands
of agents and sub-agents scattered
throughout the various European
and stationed at points
where immigration originates-atthe
very sources of the streams.
This preliminary examination,
however thorough, would not take
the place or render unnecessary the
regular inspection at the United
States ports of arrival, but it would
necessarily render the latter much
less difficult. In nine cases out of
ten the ineligible and undesirable
persons would be left at home on the
other side. The European inspec-
ton would have every possible adj
vantage, including that of a thorough
local knowledge Of the antecedents of
intending emigrants. There would