The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1902-02-09
SHOULD rHEr BE ADm1rrEDg

Ll1o Immigration bureau by grace OF a Ro-
publican national administration He
used to be in the labor business until
he changed his political coat and be-
came Republican politician. Recently
Mr.. Powderly has been in trouble with
the physicians in his character Of COM
missioner general of immigration. He
has insisted on the exclusion of i'm
migrants suffering from tuberculosis of
the lungs, and the doctors have dis
agreed with him.
Mr.. Powderly takes the position that
consumptive immigrants suffer from an
infectious disease, and should. accord
ingly, be excluded. The doctors insist
that the disease is not dangerous until
it has reached a certain stage Mr.
Powderly's position is that the disease ls
infectious or contagious in all it's stages,
and is accordingly communicable
While the question thus raised is an
important one, there can hardly be any
doubt that Commissioner Powderly's
position is the right one It seems now
generally accepted as true that in it's
early stages consumption subjected to
proper treatment is durable. The diff
Guilty lies in determining the point at
which the complaint is capable of being
communicated to others. 1t may be that
this point is discernible in individual
cases; but until all doubt on this score
is removed it is better that the doubt
be waived in favor of American society
even though hardship thereby results to
the immigrant.
The only case in which the point was
disputed resulted in sustaining the wis.,
dom Of the regulation. The immigrant,
while allowed to land on account of the
prevailing difference of opinion and the
evident hardships involved to him and
his family, died shortly afterwards OF
the disease.
The policy of the law is to exclude
those who are liable to become a public
burden. as well as those who are suf-
ed from either point of view it seems diff
fcult to understand why a consumptive
Immigrant should be admitted We are
establishing more rigid regulations each
succeeding year. A consumptiye meeting
all the requirements as to property,
character and ability to maintain himself
is liable to become at any time public
menace 1t Is quite unlikely that he
will have the means to secure such treat
ment that will at once effect q cure
and avoid all danger of public contagion
If he has a family, 1t is bound to
suffer and liable to become q public
charge while he Is undergoing treatment
unless he is a man Of means, which is
rarely If ever the case with steerage
immigrants.
Many of our regulations governing
the admission of immigrants are I'M
necessary and some of them even alb
surd. It Is unreasonable, while such
regulations exist that any risk, however
slight, to the public health should be
taken by the admission of such persons
when they are. clearly suffering from
consumption in one stage or another.
The growth of city is dependent in
large measure upon the growth of the
surrounding country. The farmer is the
original producer of wealth. This fact
should not belost to sight in planning for
the future of st. Paul Irrigation of the
arid lands of the Northwest would add
a thriving thrifty population of several
millions to the country tributary to st.
Paul. Our manufacturers and jobbers
should be masters of the field; hence
they should enter heartily into the plans
for the development Of the Northwest
by the reclamation of the arid lands.
Gen. Woods argument in favor of
action on behalf of Cuba must strike
Congressman Stevens as a very strong
statement in favor of no concessions at
all, If the latter gentleman was recent
Iy correctly reported in the Dispatch.
According to the general that condition
Of disturbance which Mr.. Stevens fore
sees as operating to force Cuba into our
arms, will be produced by the refusal of
her demands.
The Prussian government has announc-
ed its intention Of purchasing the West
phalian coal mines. A good many Amer
lean householders will doubtless wish
that, they could become Prussians, and
that the state of Pennsylvania might be
transformed into Westphalia
A rs per cent reduction is all that Gov.
Taft thinks ought to be effected on the
Philippine tariff. How does it happen
that we have not heard from the sugar,
tobacco or Irvine trusts on this enter
tanning suggestion?
If there Is anything in the rumor that
Queen Marguerite Of Italy is about to
visit the United States, we should all
rise up in q body and take off our hats.
for she is one OF the women who make
the average American man become
reconciled to the idea of kings and
queens outside the game of poker.
No doubt the fact that Mr.. Rhodes
paid the princess bills at the hotel and
that he Travelled with her aboard the
steamship to South Africa was q mere
condolences Things happen that way
sometimes