The record-union., 1892-07-06
IMMIGRATION AND NATURALIZA-
TION.

IMMIGRATION AND NATURALIZA-
TION.
Since 1876, exclusive of the Chinese
Acts, four bills have passed Congress and
become laws excluding undesirable inn
migrants. But while these laws have
been the means of great good, they are
clearly not filling the whole bill of de-
mand by the American people.
More than half million immigrants
still come to us yearly, and of these nearly
245,000 are officially reported as having
no occupation, as reporting themselves as
not skilled or adapted for any stated oc-
cupation. The skilled workers who
came over in 1891 numbered only 81, 078
and the agriculturists but little more
than half as many. So that at the best
we have over quarter of a million Of
immigrants, exclusive of those from
anything, and who admit that they are
not prepared to take care of themselves
by devotion to any stated vocation.
That good portion of these bring some
little money with them is true, but not
sufficient to keep them above want for
any very long time. Out of this class
drift into the least remunerative forms of
labor and the greater number who be-
come members of the idle and criminal
classes. A trade, skill in occupation,
profession, are of the very best protective
agencies to keep a man oat of evil ways
The question is now being again dis
cussed whether there shall not be still
more stringent restriction and whether
we shall not adopt plans to insure the
better enforcement Of the laws we have
inhibiting the landing of idiots, persons
diseased or insane, paupers or persons
likely to become public charge, polyga-
mists, convicts and contract laborers."
The general opinion is that the laws we
have are not enforced with such vigor as
is necessary; that restriction is not such
to the degree of severity that is needed
and that the room left by the law for the
exercise of discretion is too broad.
Professor Moore, in the Forum for
June, looks at the question from another
standpoint. He urges reform of the
naturalization laws, because the tide of
immigration still rises, and out of it
will appear most serious menaees to re-
publican institutions unless the new citi-
zenship is more guarded. A Congress
sional committee of inquiry has reported
that more than 20 per cent. of our i'm
migrants are now esteemed as of the I'M
desirable class, yet only the Chinese are
excluded from citizenship, while the -ig-
norant. debased, anarchistic, vicious and
all those destitute of political ideas may
become voters and factors in shaping the
destinies of the nation. Very largely
these Objectionable elements become the
purchases of corrupt political workers.
who debase the courts, commit perjury
and perpetrate frauds in order to have the
seal of citizenship stamped upon the
purchased article for their use.
That clause of the law requiring proof
''to the satisfaction of the ccurf' that the
applicant is in all ways worthy has so far
become farcical that when court now
and then checks an applicant tor citizen
ship with questions calculated to test his
knowledge and appreciation of American
ideas and institutions, the instance is re-
ported far and near as phenomenal. The
process Of naturalization, Professor
Moore contends, has, with the rush of i'm
migration behind it, degenerated mainly
into clerical act, instead of being, as in
tended when instituted in 1902, a judicial
process. There is scarcely any serious
formality about it nowadays, but mainly
mere cold procedure, less vitality active
than is the process of certifying to
a deed of record. There is only now and
then an effort made to test the knowledge
of the applicants, and very rarely are
thev cross-examined in behalf of the
people.
The proposition some time ago adj
yanced in connection with suggested
greater stringency of the immigration and
the naturalization laws was good one,
that looked to the imposition upon an
official of the duty of appearing for the