The Atlanta constitution., 1901-12-09
IMMIGRATION: Exclude the Chi
nese, head off anarchists, force a
careful educational test and su-
pervise steamship companies.


If the farmer and wage-worker are
well off, ii is absolutely certain ,hat all
others will be well off toe Not only must
car labor b. protected py thc tariff. but it
should also be protected from laborers
brought over by contract or Of those rep
rescnting standard of living so depressed
that they can undersell our men i'm the la
Dor market. ! REGARD IT As NECESSA-
RY. WITH THIS END ~ VIEW. 70
REENACT IMMEDIATELY THIS LAW
t-}.l DING CHINESE LABORERS.
"The national government should demanf
the highest quality of service from its
employees, and in return it should he a
good employer If possible legislation
should be passed, in connection with the
interstate commerce law, which will rem
der effective the efforts Of different states
To do away with the competition of con-
vict contract labor i'm the open labor mar
ket. So far as practicable under the con-
ditiOns of government work, provision
should be made to render the enforcement
of the cight-hour law easy and certain.
I he government should forbid all night
work for women and children. as well
as excessive overtime. For the District
of Columbia a good factory law should
be passed, AMI. as A powerful indirect
aid to such laws, provision should be
made to turn the Inhabited alleys into
"
live under conditions favorable to health
and morals.
The most vital problem with which this
country, and for that matter the whole
civilized world. has to deal is the prob
lem which has fer one side the betterment
Ct social conditions moral and physical.
in large cities, and for another side the
effort to deal with that tangle of far
reaching questions which we group to-
ngl.. flag
chief factor in the success Of each man
worker. farmer and capitalist alike
must ever be the sum total of his own
individual qualities and abilities. Sec
end only to this comes the power of act
ing in combination or association with
others"
President Roosevelt here refers to labor
organizations and says that very great
good has been-aud will be accomplished
by such associations SO long as they have
a respect for tho rights of others. The
national government. he says, should safe
guard the rights and interests of all lie
continues:
Each man must work for himself, and
unless ne so works no outside help can
avail him. but each man must remem-
Der also that he is in(eed his brothers
keeper. To be permanently effective, aid
must always take the form of helping
man to help himself; and we can all best
help ourselves by joining together in the
"Our present Immigration laws are un-
satisfactory. We need every honest and
efficient immigrant fitted to become an
American citizen every immigrant who
comes here to stay. who brings here
strong body a stout feart, good head.
and a resoute purpose to do his duty well
in every way and to bring uD his chill
dren as law-ahiding and God-fearing
members of the community. But there
shoulG he a comprehensive law enacted
with the object of working a threefold
Improvement over our present system.
First. we should aim t1 exclude absO-
lutolv not only all pers ons who are known
e. lie belle vers in anarchiStic principles or
members of anarchstic societies, but also
all persons who are of low moral ten
dcncy or Of unsavory reputation.
"The second object of proper lmmi-
grafton law ought to be to secure by
careful and not merely perfunctorv edu-
cational test some intelligent capacity to
appreciate American institutions and act
sancly as American citizens. There should
he proper proof of personal capacity to
earn an American living and enough
money to insure n decent start under
American conditions. This would stop
tho influx of cheap labor. and the result
ing competition which gives rise to
much of bitterness In American indus
trial life.
"A wise immigration law should be
designed to protect and elevate the gen.
eral body polite and social. very close