The Weiser signal. [volume] (Weiser, Idaho) 1890-1904, 1894-05-17
TO RESTRICT IMMIGRATION.
A Bill Designed to Make Better Citizens
of immigrants.

of immigrants.
One of the most important measures
now awaiting action In congress Is
bill designed to make better citizens of
immigrants coming to this country, and
TO lessen the number of undcsirab BILE ad.
ditions to our population. This measure,
known as H. B. 5246, was introduced by
Rev. William A. Stone of Pennsylvania,
and has been favorably reported to the
house by the judiciary committee.
In addition to present requirements
of law, the immigrant is compelled BY
this bill to secure from The consul or
other representative of the United
States nearest the immigrants last
place of residence, a certificate sho wing
that the representative has made an
investigation concerning the immigrant
and that the immigrant is not one OF
those excluded from this country under
its present laws or any that may be
adopted. The following is quoted from
the report of the judiciary committee:
"The purpose of this bill is to prevent
the criminals and paurers of Europe
from being sent here as immigrants.
Statistics show that much too large I;
proportion of the immigrants now com
ing here as incapable of self-support.
BY the last census the per cent OF per
sons born In foreign countries is l4.77
per cent and yet this census shows that
&c per cent of the white prisoners con-
fined in jails and simple prisons are per-
sons of foreign birth. The total number
of white convicts in our pen.teniiaries
whose birth place is known Is 28,440,
composed of 1878 native born and ID :
1875 foreign born, showing that more
than one-half of all our white convicts
are OF foreign birth. Our benevolent
institutions contain 69,962 inmates by
the last census, of which the fol- eigr
born compose 81 per cent. The total
number of the white inmates of tur
poorhouses is $4,000, of which number
81 GAS, or little over 81 per cent, were
born In foreign countries. These stats
tics show that with foreign population
of IA II per cent, more than half of oui
white peniter tiary convicts and ore
than half of the white inmates of oul
poorhouses are foreigners, and prove
that of the immigrants coming here dur
ing the past few years too many of then
are deficient in morals, and are incapa
BILE physically of self support.
"Foreign countries not only encourag,
immigration CT criminals and pauper
but use public money to pay their ex
penses here. This fact seems to b.
sufficient reason why so large a per
centage of Immigrants so soon fin'
themselves in our prisons and poor
houses. The means adopted have beel
found wholly inadequate to keep out o
the country those really included +
the excluded list. The sur erintenden
of immigration states that during tn
six months ending December 81, 1893
1873 .O2s immigrants arrived, and 1925
of them were debarred as falling witt
in the list excluded by law; less tina
one per cent. The examination upo
the arrivals of the immigrants mus
necessarily be wholly insufficient to DE-
termine whether the immigrant belong
to the excluded class or not, and |
many instances where the immigrar
has made the long journey to the plac
of examination, and perhaps, has e.
pended his all in the undertaking, syn
, pathy overcomes the doubt as to h
eligibility, and he is admitted. Unde
, the present system the immigrant
= word has to be taken for most of III
inquiries and there is no means of r.
futing him If he answers untruthfull,
This change strikes not nationally, bl
simply at that class of incapables of a
nations who can only be burden to u
: and whose moral and social inhuen'
+ can do US much harm"