The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1893-01-13
MANKATo FREE PRESS.
FRIDAY, JANUARY ID, 1898.
THE IMMIGRATION QUESTION.


yie,c Senator Chandler, of New Hamp-
shire. discusses the question as 10
whether or not immigration should
he snspended. The Senator, of course,
takes decided grounds that it should.
The grounds upon which he claims
that such a course should DE taken
are that 1.-The cholera again threatens
ms. and can only be arrested by the
suspension of immigration, ana tnat
the "prOtection of the Worlds FAR
requires the suspension" AS the lat
ter reason is based solely upon dam
ger from cholera, the first reason may
be said to cover the whole ground.
Outside of the cholera question the
only real point Senator Chandler
makes in favor of suspension, is that
it will give ample time to formulate
some measure that will represent the
desires of the American people. Ii
this were the only reason 1T Would
hardly Justify a suspension as some
measure could be agreed upon before
such suspension took place as we'll as
after For all the reasons given there
is only one that will Justify such eX-
IRENE and radical action being taken,
and that is the danger from cholera.
That danger would justly any action
by the national authorities in this di-
rection. no matter how extreme it
NAV be for the time being, for there
is no higher duty to be performed by
a government than to protect the
public health.
The Senator thinks that the total
suspension of immigration would be
an easy matter to carry into effect at
this time, as there is already a virtual
suspension by reason of quarantine,
which it would be easy to prolOng.
He wishes it to be distinctly under
derstCod. however, that the measure
which he has introduced into the Sen
ate is not an exclusive act and that
no thought in that direction has been
intended. He maintains that 1T Will
work no permanent injustice to those
who are intending to emigrate, as 1T
would only postpone their coming for
one year, which he thinks, in view OF
the approximations about cholera, is
not a severe repulSe, and far prefera-
BILE to undergoing the hardships OF
quarantine. Also that there is moth
ing in the measure which will prevent
persons coming as visitors, under the
obligation of returning.
His point that steamship companies
will not be injured by it, when taken
in connection with the quarantine
against cholera, is well taken. He
shows that the heavy expenses which
the companies must incur abroad be-
fore the immigrants start, the eXpen-
sive precautions kept up on the yoy-
age over, and the expense incurred IN
quarantine. would destroy all The
profits in the business, besides absorb
ing other money of the companies
And that they would also run risk
in view of the cholera, of running the
cabin passenger business, which this
coming season, because of the Worlds
Fair, will be extremely large.
He does not think that a years sus
pension will cause immigrants to come
in through Canada, as the risk to gair
a year would be too great, and also
for the reason that be believes Cana
da will perceive the necessity of tax
ing the same precaution for preserv
ing the health of her people that WE
are led to.
The conditions of the resumption
of immigration should be such, in hi
opinion, as will shut out all the unde
sirable immigrants and admit ONLY
those who will become valuable citi
zens This he thinks can be best Sc
cured through a system of consula
inspection. "A prominent objection
to the consular certificates is" say
the Senator, that the. requirement
of them will prevent emigrants from
SOUUlhS away o"h 81
ernmestS wish to detain for militar,
purposes, especially the Germans, VIII
are among our best immigrants. Thi
objection raises the question Whethe
the United States really wishes t.
take as its citizens, away from foreign
countries, any citizens of the latte
whom their government are uuwil
ling to allow to depart. The sound
est answer is the negative" Will
Mr.. Chambers view on this matte
may be right one, it is equally tru
that the vast majority of those whom
these very governments are willing
and even anxious to have come here
are the very ones we do not want, an
are the class that, if consular in
spection fulfilled the need for whic
it would provide, would shut the doc
upon. The class we want, and thos
who make desirable citizens are til
class that European governments
not care to have leave their border
and those they are the most DESTROY