Evening star., 1901-09-07
IMMIGRATION LAWS.
Changes Favored by Commissioner
Powderly.
EXCLUSION OF KNOWN ANARCHISTS
Certificates Of Good Character
Might Be Required.
4 PERIOD OF PROBATION

A PERIOD OF PROBATION.
+. ". Powderly, commissioner general Of
immigration, talked to q Star reporter with
considerable warmth today when asked
what could be done to reach the anarchistic
groups who are teaching violence and
hatred of the laws and off1cials Of this
country. Mr. Powderly was asked the di-
rect question whether he thought the i'm
migration laws could be amended 30 as to
reach those immigrants who associate
themselves with anarchists either before or
after their arrival in this country He
said:
Excludfnx Known Anarchists.
s'The immigration laws can be amended
so as to exclude from landing In this coun-
try persons known to be anarchists abroad
by requiring of every immigrant to present
a certificate from the municipality in which
he resided at home to the effect that he
was a respectable, law-abiding man, that
he was not In any way identified with any
anarchist organization. and that he was Of
good character. In order to make such q
law effective representatives of the immi-
grafton bureau should be stationed In for
efgn countries from which immigrants
come, whose duty 1t should be to carefully
examine into the character of the immigra-
tion tending toward the United States. All
certificates should be passed upon and all
immigrants examined carefully before be-
Ing permitted to embark for the United
States. In this way our immigration off,
GERS would have a means of knowing some
thing concerning the antecedents of those
applying for admission.
Period OF Probation.
recommended In my annual report
for the fiscal year 1900. that all persons
landing in this country be liable to depor-
tation during the term they reside here
before becoming naturalized, or for the
period Of five years. Untn a person be-
comes a naturalized American citizen he
or she is subject to foreign government;
II such person is injured or II the lives Of
aliens are taken In any public ARRAY, the
foreign government looks to ours for In
demnity, and 1t Is but reasonable to sug-
gest that during the time they are SUBJ
jects Of foreign governments in this icoun-
try they should be liable to deportation
for their own misdeeds.
"It is all very well to talk Of the United.
States as the asylum Of the oppressed of
all nations; that did very well years ago,
but that was before the immigration began
OF an asylum is not SO great now as It once
was, and the danger of making this coun-
try q prison and an asylum for vagabonds
is increasing every year.
Some one has said that when the lion
eats the OK the OK becomes lion; but that
depends upon the state Of health Of the OK.
for II he is diseased the consequences to
the lion are apt to be very serious, and It
needs but a glance at the statistics Of this
years immigration to show that such vast
numbers of immigrants cannot readily be
assimilated. and they are apt to prove to
this country what diseased OK would be
to the lion.
SuppressinG Agitators.
TT would appear that Congress has the
right to enact legislation calling for
supervision over aliens during the time they
remain in this country unnaturalized. The
man who shot President Mckinley admits
that he received his inspiration through the
anarchis1c teachings OF Emma Goldman,
who was permitted to enjoy the right Of
free speech in this country. The law should
be so framed as to enable the authorities
to place the strong hand of Justice upon
every anarchist who breeds such sentiments
as Emma Goldman gave expression to and
deport them at once. The right of free
speech is one thing, but the license which
aliens take in this country to advocate muir
der, destruction OF property, riot and arson
is not liberty by any means, and such fiends
should be throttled at once and sent where
they belong.
From the press dispatches this morn
ing II Will De seen tndt SeVera1 aHaIc0lSt
groups held meetings last night and re-
joiced In the fendish attempt on the life
of the President. Every soul assembled at
every one Of those meetings should be taken
out, and, II aliens, deported. II citizens,
they should be promptly tried for their Of
fense; but in any event the authorities
should prevent the assembling Of such
characters. They were not advocating re-
form, nor the redress of grievances Of any
kind; they were applauding murder, and
the man who applauds murder Is himself
a murderer at heart and should be pun
fshed. No maudlin sentiment should stand
in the way of reaching these people.
Should BE Confined.
'The anarchist does not aim his blow at
the individual. he does not strike at the
President or other public official because
he is such, but because he represents au-
thority. and the law Of the land should be
made strong enough to reach all who un-
der the protection Of our institutions at
tempt to effect their destruction through
teaching anarchy.
1T is intimated that the man who shot
the President Is insane. If he is he be-
came so through the teachings of anarchy,
and that should constitute no defense for
his act.
IF those who become citizens advocate
anarchy they should be adJudged insane
brace OF straightjacket would have a
statutory effect. Any way the insane asy-
lum is a safer place for an anarchist than
the streets OF a. city, and across the water
Is, where every alien anarchist should be
sent on the first manifestation OF ten
dency toward anarchy"