The Savannah morning news., 1903-08-09

the kind of an American / am. Amer
lea for Americans is my notto.''
'"That is pure bigotry, and 1 have
not the slightest sympathy with any
such policy" asserted Col. Monroe, who
stands in little fear Of hurting the
postmaster's feelings. The mere fact
that man is born out of the United
States neither makes him desirable nor
undesirable as a citizen. The greatest
scoundrels l ever knew had American
names and ancestry. All this is urite.
and has nothing to do with the fact
that in the past twelve months nearly
a million of persons of foreign birth
landed in this country, and with the
more important fact that an over
whelming majority of this vast num-
Der do not understand our language,
customs, laws or institutions"
But what can be done about it?'
asked Judge Sawyer How are we to
erect the bars against this stampede of
immigration without stultifying our
claim that this is the refuge for the
oppressed of all nations and a land of
equal opportunity"
I'VE have made no such claim" de-
clared Col. Monroe. mo such absurd
doctrine is enunciated in our constitu-
ton or formulated into law. will adj
NIT that there is a popular belief to
that effect. a belief instilled in the
minds of the young by ignorant school
teachers, and repeated from time to
time by boastful orators and vote seek
ing politicians. Every nation has the
sovereign right to prescribe, limit or
regulate its membership or citizenship.
We have asserted that right in bar
ring the Chinese. The head of a fam
lily may say who shall be admitted
to 1t. AS a citizen Of a well regulat-
ed town or city he has certain legal
and recognized rights as to who shall
| be his neighbors. A county or COM
| munity is debarred from unloading its
pauper or criminal classes on another
| county or city. II a citizen has a child
who is deformed physically or lacking
mentally he must. If able, care for
such an unfortunate. His first duty
is to those Of his own, flesh and blood.
When he passes away he wills to them
the savings of his lifetime. In a larg
er sense the government has the same
duty and responsibility. The citizen
has a right to expect from the gov
ernment the performance Of two du-
ties, first, an opportunity to earn by
labor, mental or physical, an honest
living. and second, the protection of all
property thus secured. When a gov
eminent opens its gates to the class
which has been swarming in for the
! last ten years II menaces the prosper
ity Of workers and the security of
property"
There seems to be no difference of
opinion among intelligent men regard
| less. of parties on this question" SAID
| Judge Sawyer. There can be no
reasonable doubt that If the issue were
put to vote the American people
would speedily regulate immigration.
/ You served two terms in Congress,
J colonel. What Is the reason that an
! effective bill to this effect is not in
| PRODUCED and passed."
Because Congress was and yet Is
dominated by corporation influences,
and because corporations seek to Sc
cure a lower wage scale by means of
unrestricted immigration" was the
prompt response. Years ago some
one coined the phrase. Corporations
have no souls That should be amend
ed by striking out 'souls' and insert
ing sense Every man who has
btains enough 10 reason the most
primative Of things from cause 10 eff
| feet IL aware Of the fact that the
prosperity Of this country, above that
OF others. Ia due TO the fact OF its
prOportionally higher wage scale. It
IL an automatic fact that the more
the actual producers receive IN the