Washington sentinel., 1898-02-05
HOSTILITY TO FOREIGNERS.
The Sentiment Behind the Immi-
grafton Bill.

Our legislators in Congress who are
exercising their ingenuity upon the con-
struction OF statutes to shut and bar the
doors Of the United States against i'm.
migrants, no doubt think there is a
public sentiment in their respective
localities which demands such legisla-
ton.
The Chicago Chronicle thinks an in.
vestigation wonld probably disclose the
tact that this sentiment is limited TO
comparatively small number Of persons
who regard themselves 40 aboriginal
Americans, and few others who enter
tain the notion that this country is not
large and resourcelul enough to hold any
more people and yield them living.
The people OF this country no doubt
are pretty unanimously Of the opinion
that paupers and criminals should be
excluded. Ali agree that the govern
ments and local authorities Of Europe
should not be permitted to make the
United States the dumping ground for
their defective and vicious classes. We
oANHAN AAcA bN ANNAhAlNh ~ DNdA AllE
burdens OF Europe. We have enough OF
our own, and they will become onerous
fast enough without additions from
abroad. Nor ought we to encourage
Europe in mihtarism by accepting her
burdens. Probably many also would be
glad enough to bar out the anarchist
variety ofsavages If they could recognize
them as easily as they can recognize the
insane and the physically detective,
But there is reason to think that most
Americans do not believe in closing our
doors against honest and industrious an1
law abiding Europeans, either because
! they may entertain some ideas which are
not in harmony with theirs, or because
they fear Europeans as competitors in
the various callings.
The law against transient labocers,
directed especially against Canadian, is
bad enough. 1t is an act OF hostility to
our next neighbor, it is cowardiy, and
it is impolitic, economically, because
Americans wish to work in Canada as
Cana 1ians wish to work here, and law
| excluding them will surely provoke re-
talIatlon in kind. But it is an honest
law It's purpose appears on ITS face,
The proposed legislation against I'm.
migration from Europe IS worse, because
it is false in its pretenses. 1t purports
| being aimed at vice, incapacity for sell
support or anarchism through ignorance
| or rather IllteracV. IL SETS I'M the false
pretense that people who are illiterate
will probably make bad and dangerous
| citizens.
The authors Of The measure know bet
ter. They know that existing laws suf-
| hciently guard the country against the
criminal and dependent as we'll as
| against labor imported under contract,
and, therefore, quasi servile. The pend
ing measure, which is, in effect, the
Lodge bill vetoed by President Cleve
! land, for reasons which have never been
met, is, in TACT, though covertly, directed
| against immigration as immigration.
1t is an expression Cf sort Of Chinese
hatred Of foreigners which is wholly
unworthy of people protesting to be
liberal and enlightened. If it is moIe
than that, il is an expression OF puerile
| tear that the country will shortly be too
populous and that the newcomers from
Europe will be less insistent UPON get
ting all their services are worth than
their predecessors have been. {. Ch."
10 tie 81. Louis Review.