The Washington times., 1901-09-27
Circulation Statement.
Let U. Protect Ourselves.

1t is suggested by people who are
supposed to be in a position to know,
that the first message =. Congress of
President Roosevelt will include rec
ommendation that the immigration
laws of the country be changed, SO that
It may be possible for the Government
to deny admission to professed anarch-
lists, and perhaps to the classes known
to be largely composed of such people.
Without pretending to judge of the
accuracy of prediction, it is proper to
say that the recommendation suggest
ed would be timely. Our laws at pres
ent are dangerously lax in the matter
of allowing undesirable immigrants to
land on our shores. For example, a
man may be known throughout Europe
as teacher of anarchism, and inciden-
tally of murder, and yet if he be not a
recognized criminal, in the sense that
he has been convicted and served a
prison sentence, our authorities are
estopped from refusing him entry.
Such a system should have been
abandoned long ago. In view of the
terrible object lesson we have had re-
Gently, it would be madness to persist
in our present loose immigration meth
DDS. Notwithstanding the disadvantage
to the transatlantic lines that such
a practice might entail, intending emf
grants to the United States should be
carefully and thoroughly examined as
to their fitness to become residents of
this country, at the port of departure,
and should not be allowed to embark
without consular certificates of eligi-
7bility. In this way it would be possible
for the Government to exercise a close
scrutiny of people seeking asylum in
America. The system might cost
money, but it would be money well
spent.
The, American public, we fear, does
not yet realize the awful consequences
10 posterity which are bound to flow
from the careless Introduction of the
criminal, vicious. and pauper classes
of the Old World into the mass of our
population. Be 1t remembered that
once they are here. the inherited poison
of centuries of brigandage, vice, crime,
and degradation is bound to get into
the general blood Of the nation, in fu-
ture generations. We have no segrega-
tion of classes sufficient even temporar-
lily to check the admixture. If we had,
it would not operate appreciably in the
aggregate of hundred years history.
Unless the tide of undesirable emf
grants be turned back, our descendants
will also be the descendants of Neapol-
itan lazzaroni, of Corsican and Sicilian
bandits, of Russian anarchists, of es-
capes from the galleys at Toulon, and
of the offscourings of Europe generally.
This is not an exaggerated statement,
but one entirely demonstrable. Today
We are planting the seeds of population
Tor harvest which posterity must
reap. We have 1t in our power, to a
great extent, to say what kind and
character of inhabitants are to possess
this beautiful and fruitful land after
we are gone.
1t is not difficult to change the course
of river If we take it at its source. 1t
is not too late TO divert from our coun-
try the stream of obnoxious immigra-
ton which has been flowing toward US
increasingly for two decades. We found
a way to shut out the peaceable and
hard-working Mongoiian. Why should
IL be impracticabie also to shut out the
anarchists. brigands. thugs. beggars.
and idiots of the nations over sea?