Omaha daily bee., 1894-03-25
no REGrLATE IMMIGRATION.

TO REGULATE LHHIGRATION.
ThSre are men in congress who make a
hobby of the question of regulating immi-
grafton. They are not all agreed as to what
Is desirable or necessary and are only unani-
nous in the opinion that something more
than Is provided in existing law is required
in order to protect the country against an
invasion of undesirable immigrants. A
few of these men have the candor and cour-
age TO declare that If they could have their
way they would put n stop to immigration
altogether. and 1t is quite probable that most
of them feel this way. but lack the frankness
to avOw II. Generally these men represent
districts to which the poorer classes of i'm
migrants have found their way in large
numbers. thus furnishing a sort of excuse
for their attitude OF hostility, for the average
congressman rarely takes a broader view
of any public question than its relation to
his own district.
There is now on the calendar Of the house
of representatives a bill to regulate immi-
grafton, which was introduced by Repre-
sentative Stone of Pennsylvania and favor
ably reported to the house by the judiciary
committee. The author of this measure
of course believes in its Importance
and it's necessity. lie has salts
fled himself that there are numerous
evils connected with immigration which de-
mand a radical remedy, and he thinks the
bill he has proposed provides this. Its
essential feature is consular inspection. 1t
provides that no immigrant shall be ad-
mitted within the United States unless he
hears with him a rorti1cata y;u,oJ l,r +b,o
United States consul at the place nearest
where he last resided. This certificate
must show that the consul has made an
investigation concerning the immigrant
which has satisfied him that the latter does
not belong to the class of alien immigrants
excluded from admission into the United
States under the provisions of the act of
March 3. 1891, or by any other law of the
United States that now exists or may here
after be passed. In other words, explains
Mr.. Stone, the object and purpose of the
bill is to prevent the criminals and paupers
of Europe from being admitted into this
country as immigrants. But who is going
to look after the consuls? Mr.. Stone pro-
fesses to believe that there is no reason
why our consular officers should not faith
lullN perform lHe uuty tndJ WOulu De ue-
volved upon them by this measure, Very
likely some of them would do so to the best
of their ability, but it is equally certain
that some would give only the most per-
f~unctory attention to this duty, especially
if they were required to perform it with
out increase of compensation or additional
assistance, and neither is contemplated by
the bill. In fact 1t would be practically
impossible for some of our consular officers
to fully carry out the requirements Of this
measure unless provided with more assist
ance than at present, involving a consider
able increase in the expense of the con
sular service. The disposition of con-
gress is to reduce instead of increase the
cost of this service.
OF course Mr.. Stone has statistics which
seem to Justify his position. Everybody who
rides the NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS. hobby is
loaded with data in support of his view.
These are made to show that of the white
criminals and paupers in our penitentiaries
and poor houses there are more of foreign
than of native birth. Admitting this to be
true as to the aggregate, 1t needs to be said
that the preponderance of foreign-born
criminals and paupers is only in certain
localities-in the larger cities of the country |
where the worst classes of immigrants con-
gregate-and is not general. Outside of the
great cities the native born furnish the
greater number of criminals, If not of pau |
pers. Nor are the statistics conclusive evil
dence of the insufficiency of existing laws,
for 1t is entirely reasonable to assume that
by far the larger number of the foreign-born J
came here without the least
criminal faint. 1t will not be denied that
for years the immigration laws We're very
loosely enforced and that while this was so
countries were enabled to unload |
upon the United States a great many of the
classes excluded by those laws. But the
last republican administration addressed it.
self firmly to remedying this state of affairs
and since then there has been little substantial |
reason for complaint. If the present ad-
ministration will continue the policy of it's
predecessor in this regard the expedient of
consular inspection may safely be dispensed
with. Every good citizen wishes the ex-
clusion of undesirable immigrants, as now
designated in the statutes. but plans of
that are designed to put obstacles
in the way Of all immigration will not be
approved by those who want the country to
steadily advance in population and material
development.