BoletiÌn mercantil de Puerto Rico. (San Juan, P.R.) 18??-1918, 1902-01-04
The Immigration Bill.

There are several reasons why the question
of immigration should receive more serious
attention from congress during the present
session tta1 ever before. A Washington des.
patch in this weeks papers "Times" outlines
proposed immigration bill which his been
introduced in the House and reported
favorably by the committee on immigration
and navigation. The bill is based upon the
views of Commissioner General Powderly
and his assistants, and contains stringent
provisions against the immigration Of es-
pecially undesirable classes. II has been
prepared with thoroughness AID with .
view to meet present conditions that deserve
much praise, whatever the differences Of
opinion on the question.
immigration bills have failed so often
that the cause must be sought in past public
indifference and the exigencies Of political
parties rather than in tho merits of the
question. A general admission that such
laws are needed has been invariably followed
at the critical moment by drawback for
fear Of political consequences. We believe
public opinion has reached q stage which
demands that objections vhich have been
constantly recurrent shall now be brushed
aside. Mr.. Powderly's bill, whose main
provisions have been anticipated in the dis.
cussions Of the subject, is, brought forward ct
. time when negligence in protecting the
quality Of American citizenship has made
as complete an exhibit al 10 necessary for
the indication of practical remedies. We
need not wait for any additional experiences
to teach rs whsther we are ignoring nearly
all their undesirable classes, without question.
All Kinds Of races, and about all their un-
desirable classes, have been pouring steadily
in upon us for more than half Q century, and
if ever the public sense Of duty in this
respect had good chance to silence the
contending bids of politicians for votes it 10
now. We believe ouch is the temper and
purpose behind this bill.
In brief, it 10 the intention to ask for
legislation which shall embOdy the impartial
conclusions Of experts. Without doubt
public feeling in regard to the exclusion and
punishment of anarchists has had good
deal to do with the bilps provisions against
those offenders 40 veil a. With the cataloguing
Of other classes commonly held to be
immoral and unfit to be admitted to citizen.
38lR VI 0u0A " l8M4 MolCs 4uo VII M03
evidently been drawn with NO unnecessary
nicely Of discrimination between the i'm.
moral and criminal, the anarchisiic, the
incompetent and the physically
diseased classes all are set down - dan.
gsrous without determining the relative
degree Of their undesirability or the special
ground Of their exclusion.
An alien head taz, from which Canadian
and Mexican eitizsas are 30 bs exempted
win b proposed for TIE reason, which is not
made quite GEAR, that immigration officials
viii b under The nscsszity of spsnding
more monsy than would b spent h carry.
ing oat ne prosisions % the lAs 60 u nos
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