The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1894-08-07
TO RESTRAIN lSIMIGmArroS.
What Congress Has Done During the Past
Thirty YenrH.

Thirty fenFS.
Philadelphia Pyty.
Beginning more than !hIrtyyears ago,
Congress, from tImo to time, and In a
tImid way, has been ondeavoring to put
a little check on tho torrents OF imml.
grafton that werc pouring into this
country from across either ocean. Tho
complaint OF tho Pacific coast people
against the Chinese led 10 legislation in
1862 and 1858 prohibiting tho coolie
trade. As thcso acts had no apprccia'
bic effect on tho importation OF Chinese,
Congress in 1875 forbade tho bringing
10 this country OF any subjects OF China
and japan without their free aud full
consent II also forbade, undor penal
ties, i'm poTting women for immoral pur-
poses, and prohibited tho landing here
OF convicted criminals whose sentcnces
had bcon romitted OIL the condition OF
their emigration.
Successive acts hnvc undertaken TO
close our ports absolutely 10 tho
Chinese, to laborcrs brought horo UNI
dor contract, to criminals and paupers.
The last act Of Congress, which aims 10
exclude Objectionable classes In add.
ton to tho Chinese and contract lRbot.
ers, defines those prohibited persons MS
"all idiots, insane persons, pnupora or
persons likely to become public
charge; persons suffering from a loath'
como or dangerous contagious disease;
persons who have boon convicted OF a
felony or other infamous crime or mts'
domoanor involving mornl turpitudc,
aud all polyHamistS." All these CIassea
are certainly undesirable additions to
population. Most OF them prey upon
the community while FREQ. and sooner
or later become inmates Of iails, poor.
houses or asylums, and arc charge
upon community which owcs them
nothing. They ought to be kept out
with great strictncss, and tho bill OF
William A. Stone, OF this state. which
passed tho house last Friday, il II DO.
comes law, will aid very greatly in ac-
completing this much desired result.
Now every applicant gets in who is
not found, on examination by tho i'm
migration inspectors. to como within
tho prohlb!tivo clause. They nrO hero
right ut our doors before tho inquiry as
to their titnoss Ia made. and II tNkes
strong and very Clear case to warrant
compelling the steamship companies to
return them to tho ports OF embayIa-
ton, Congressman Stones bill changes
this BY making intending immigrants
provo thoir fitness while still on tho
othcr side OF tho oCean, and secure
certificate from an authorized agent OF
tho United States in Europe that thoy
do not belong to any Of the prohibited
classes. This provision OF tho law 10.
telligently and faithfully executed. will
keep out all tho worst applicants for
immigration muchs moro surely and
effectively than an examination In IN
American port could possibly do. Tho
state department will give the neces'
sary Instructions aud directions to
guide tho consuls or other American
examiners in thoir duties. The bill is
such d nauiiest improvement over tho
prcsen. law that there ought to 30 no
doubt OF its passage. Congressman
Stone deserves great credit for having
conceived aud pushed through to this
stage reform Of this sCope and char
acter. i,
Among tho mcasuros still unacted
upon by Congress arc bills Tor yet
further restricting immigration. Repro
sentative Mclilciohn. Of Nebraska.
wants protective duty Of 500 u hcat
lowed on each alien Immigrant Public
sentiment has not reached that ad-
vancod position in regard to immigra.
ton. Ii is steadily tending in that
direction. however. und unless tho
volume Of foreign immigration. just
now greatly reduced, shall continue to
diminish through tho equalization OF
labor conditions in this country and
Europe, tho passage Of somc general
restrictive measure is inevitably. Pro-
lection to American labor is incomplete
II it docs not touch immigration. Con.
rrcssman Stones measure, whiIC far
from radical, tends to give labor protcc-
ton BY greatly increasing tho efficiency
OF tho present restrictive law GU alien
immigration.