The record-union., 1895-12-05
RESTRICTING IMMIGRATION.

Congressman Grove L. Johnson of
California has taken a great problem
by '.the horns" and projected a ques-
ticn into the forum of Congressional
debate that has been discussed outside
of Congress with a great deal of inter-
est for a number of years. He has
introduced a bill for the exclusion of
foreign laborers, which provides that
after August 1, 1896, it shall be unlaw-
full for any foreign 1aborer to enter
the United States; the words foreign
born laborer" to mean skilled and un-
skilled laborers and laborers employed
in mining. All captains and masters
of vessels entering ports of the United
States are made responsible for the
character of their passengers. For
eign-born laborers coming into the
United States after August /, 1896,
under the provisions of the bill, shall
be subject to immediate deportation
and also subject to punishment. An
appropriation of 100000 is provided to
carry out the provisions of the bill.
There has long been made a demand
by the press of the country that there
should be further restriction upon i'm
migration. While this has largely re-
lated to the American belief that an
archists, those not in sympathy with
the American system, the criminal and
the dangerous classes generally should
be more effectively excluded than is
done under the present law, it has also
reflected the sentiment of a great body
of American citizens that the time is
at hand when the inpouring of alien
laborers, to the exclusion of native
born and adopted citizens from the
fields of home labor, must cease.
The Huns, who have invaded and
made conquest of the Pennsylvania
coal regions and proved a menace to
good order and a disgrace to civiliza-
ton, represent the lowest and worst
element of the unskilled alien labor.
1t is this non-a assimilable ele-
ment that recently, in Illinois,
frequently in Ohio, repeatedly in
Pennsylvania, and often in other
States, has by lawless disposition, ig
no orance intolerance and want of sym
pathy with the American system, rem
dered resort to arms necessary in order
to keep them within the bounds of
peace.
strengthening a sentiment in the
United States that not less inimical to
the best interests of the people is the
class of more skilled Iaborers who come
into the country for the express pur-
pose of underwriting the American
skilled workers, Of never becoming
American citizens, but immigrate for
the purpose of acquiring means and
presently returning with their gains to
their foreign homes. Still another class
is that represented by the Malta of the
South, the Polish malcontents of the
West, and the alien denizens of Little
Italy" the Hungarian quarter of Essex
street, and the other similar foreign
colonies Of the east side in New York.
Against the further unrestricted in
f1ux of these classes who if not aided
and not notoriously criminals and pau
pers, are free to come in and displace
the American worker, there has, we
say, been a rapidly growing sentiment.
This sentiment will now be crystallized
about Congressman Johnson's BILL 1t
is sweeping and purposely so, doubt
less, that the entire subject matter may
be brought squarely before the people.
1t will have that effect, and from now
on will be topic of free debate.