The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1904-06-27
THE GOVERNMENT SHOULD ACT

Repeated failures have proved that it
is next to impossible to secure legisla-
ton excluding undesirable immigrants
from the United States. The principle
that should govern was long ago work.
ed out and abandoned. If the consular
officers of the United States were au-
the antecedents of intending simmi-
grants at the point of departure, and
to furnish them with certificates of fit
ness only when their record was in all
respects good, and if such certificates
were required as condition of admis-
sion at our ports, the question would
be quickly solved. This, however, has
met little favor in congress, where
somebody always hobs up with an
idiotic educational qualification, as If
the ability to read and write could
make a good citizen of a pauper or a
criminal, and then the whole matter
drops.
Now the truth is that the volume of
unacceptable immigration was never as
great in our history as 1t is today, and
that the remedy was never as obvious
Or as easily applied. The various acts
that have been passed providing for
inspection at the port of New York and
authorizing the deportation of paupers,
criminals and persons afflicted with
lOathSome diseases can be made to do
the work. Everything depends upon
the spirit in which these are admins
tered. Their terms can be so expanded
as to admit practically everybody with
out question, or can be SO rigidly con-
strued as to keep out large number,
perhaps a majority, of all those whose
coming is a detrinent to the country
construction >and Implying application
by the federal authorities Of the letter
of the law.
1t has been shown in these columns,
and it is testified to by the department,
that the quality of immigration to the
United States is steadily decreasing.
At the present moment the character of
the army of invasion is something awful.
The movement is worked up by a GER
tain number Of transatlantic steam
ship companies. Under severe compe-
tition they have made a steerage rate
of less than SO for the passage. Their
agents are drumming up business in
every town in Eastern and Southeast
ern Europe. They go among the pau
per and criminal classes, they seek the
most ignorant and assure them that
fortunes await them for the mere grasp
ing in the United States, and where the
wretched being whom they solicit has
not $40 of his own they conspire with
disguised relatives or weary benefac-
tors or shrewd local authorities to
raise the money and get him out of the
country. By this means the steerage
departments of the ships are crowded
with human refuse, and the burden Of
assimilating this mass Of offal is thrust
upon the United States.
For immigrants of good character,
for Industrious, wholesome and Iusty
men and women of the field, whether
educated or ignorant, we have room
and work in this country. For the dis
eased strain that is now being injected
into the national life we have no place,
and mere self preservation should di-
rect us to avoid this infection. The
federal government has not shown it.
self weak or worried about legislating
by executive order. Wherever it want
ed to do anything it has proceeded
without warrant Of law, under cover Of
some department regulation or order.
Suppose it should extend that policy to
the regulation of immigration. 1t has
more warrant here than anywhere else
for construction of existing law that
would exclude very undesirable immi-
grafton, and make their present cam
paign so costly to the steamship COM
panies that they would be glad to put
an end to it. The responsibility for the
Improvement or the worsening Of the
situation rests at Washington.
The balance of talk will presently
turn in our favor. Dowie is coming
nuerr from E,l1rnna