The Colfax chronicle. [volume] (Colfax, Grant Parish, La.) 1877-1981, 1894-06-02

Criminal and Pauper Eruption.
IN. o. Picayune.J

Criminal and Pauper Eruption.
IN. O. Picayuns.J
This country, with its free insti-
tutions and government of the peo-
pie, by the people, is no more free
from the irruptions of anarchists
and the inroads OF socialism than
are the old monarchies of Europe.
The reason is that European coun-
tries have, to a large extent, been
able to deport their pauper and
criminal classes to America. Those
that were not sent with government
funds have escaped from custody,
or have fled from pursuit, and, save
in very few cases, there is no de-
sire to extradite or reclaim them
for punishment, the mother coun-
tries being glad to get rid of them
and only solicitous that they do
not return.
The only conditions under which
immigrants can be excluded from
the country are that they are known
to be criminals, or that they are
obviously paupers, or are helpless
ly afflicted with insanity, idiocy or
loathsome diseases. But no means
exist for detecting criminals, and
poverty or other hopelessness must
be so plain that the fact obtrudes
itself upon the government off,
Gals who are supposed to super
wise the admission of immigrants.
The result of this lack of regula-
ton is that it is but seldom that
an immigrant is rejected, and hence
great numbers of the worst classes
of foreigners are constantly admit
ted into this country.
The consequence of all this is
that not merely is the labor system
of the country almost entirely un-
settled, but the murder and plum
der societies of Europe are fully
organized and in operation here, as
the people of New Orleans know
to their cost. No action that Con-
gress could take would undo the
evils already in existence; but it is
not too late to accomplish some
thing for the future. To this end
there is a bill, which has been ia
vorably reported by the Judiciary
Committee of the House, which
provides that, In addition to pres
emit requirements of law, the inlmi-
grant is compelled to secure from
the Consul or other representative
of the United States nearest the
immigrants last place of residence
q certificate showing that the rep
resentative has made an investiga@
ton concerning the immigrant, and
that he is not one of those exclud-
ed from this country under its
present laws, or any law that may
be enacted.
In support of this measure it
has been shown that by the last
census the percentage Of persons
born in foreign countries is 14.77
per cent, and yet this census shows
that rs per cent of the white per-
sons confined in jails and simple
prisons are persons of foreign
birth. The total number of white
convicts in our penitentiaries whose |
birthplace is known is rs, 40, COM
posed of 1915 native born and
IA, 725 foreign born, showing that |
more than one-half of all our white |
convicts are of foreign birth.
When it comes to the dependent |
classes, it is seen from the census
that the benevolent institutions of |
the country contain sc, 1852 inmates,
of which the foreign born comprise
"a per cent. The total number of |
white inmates of our poorhouses |
is So, 696, of which number q, 648, |
or a little over 81 per cent, were |
born in foreign countries. These !
statistics show that, with foreign
population of 1477 per cent, more
than half our white penitentiary |
convicts, and more than half of the |
white inmates of our poorhouses,
are foreigners, and prove that, of i
the immigration to this country in |
the past few years, too many of the
immigrants are deficient in morals |
and are incapable physically and
of self-support.
1t is plain that some remedy for
these evils in the future is abso-
Iutely necessary. The measure
proposed strikes at no nationality
or race, but only at those classes
of criminals and paupers who are
unloaded upon this country by the
governments, cities and social or
CARNATIONS of the Old World.