The Lambertville record. [volume] (Lambertville, N.J.) 1872-1968, 1894-05-02
Restriction of Immigration.


Among the bills pending in Congress
is one designed to secure better class o
immigrants from foreign countries
provides that re alien immigrant shall b.
admitted within the United States unless
he or she shall exhibit TO the United
States inspectors of arriving immigrants
signed by the United States Consul OF
other authorized representative Of the
United States at the place nearest where
said immigrant last resided, setting forth
that the said Consul or other United
States representative has made an inyes-
tigaton concerning said immigrant and
that said immigrant does not belong 10
the class or classes of alien immigrants
excluded from admission into the United
States under any law of the United
States.
The bill has been reported savorably by
the Judiciary Committee Of the House,
and since il is designed to cure a palpa-
BILE and notorious evil, and is moderate
and just measure, it should be enacted
into law. The evil to be cured is the
pouring into this country Of a foul stream
that is polluting the entire body polite.
Statistics of the last census show that
while IA n per cent. of our population
are foreign born, 26 per cent. Of the white
prisoners confined in eur jais and simple
prisons are of foreign birth. The total
number of white convicts in our penten-
4, ~ irth 10 l. Il,
440, composed of 1918 native born and
IA, 725 foreign born, showing that more
than one-half of all our white convicts
are OF foreign birth. Our benevolent in
sltulions contain 60, 962 inmates by the
last census, OF which the foreign born
compose "a per cent. The total number
of the white inmates Of our poor-houses
Is 53, 500, of which number q, 469, or a
little over 81 per cent, were born in for
eign countries. These statistics show
that with foreign population of l477
per cent, more than half of our white
penitentiary convicls and mere than half
OF the white inmates of our poor-houses,
are foreigners, and proves that of the i'm
migrants coming here during the past
few years, too many Of them are deficient
in morals, and are incapable physically oil
selfsupport.
The judiciary Committee OF the House,
in its report on this bill, stated that for.
eign countries not only encourage immi-
grafton Of criminals and paupers, but use
public money to pay their expenses here.
This fact seems to be a sufficient reason
why so large percentage OF immigrants
so soon find themselves in our prisons
and poor-houses.
The necessity OF such an enactment as
that proposed is conceded by all who
have made the subject study. The
means OF restriction now in operation
have been found wholly inadequate to
keep out Of the country those really iu-
cluded In The excluded list. The Super
intendent CT Immigration states that dur.
ing the six months ending DECEMBER 31st,
1898, 1880 immigrants arrived, and
1888 OF them were debarred as falling
within the list excluded by the law less
then one per cent. The examination on
the arrival Of the immigrants must neces
sarily be wholly insufficient to determine
whether the immigrant belongs to the
excluded class or not, and in many in
stances where the immigrant has made
the long journey 10 the place of exami-
nation, and perhaps has expended his all
in the undertaking, sympathy overcomes
the doubt as to his eligibility, and he is
admitted
Under the proposed ban this evil will
be remedied, without entailing any great
hardship or working any injustice To
meritorious immigrants. The inhibited
classes will be excluded on the other side.
Only those entitled to land and find a
home here will be given certificates, and
only those holding such certificates can
secure passage on any vessel. This will
be fair and effectual solution of the diff
ficulty.