The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1904-08-24
CONGRESSMAN AlKEN'S POSITION.
lie Clears up Some Erroneous Impressions
as to ate immigration Law.

Mr.. Editor: J. have learned that
the national immigration bill, and my
speech in support of it, are subjects
of comment and some criticism in
certain sections of this district at
this time. Some Of those who see
''spooks" in the bill ags;in that its
purpose is to bring in foreign ele.
ment who would compete with our
mill people.
A large portion Of Anderson'e popu.
lation is engaged in manufacturing.
They have made this county one of
the fret in the South, and they de.
serve in great measure the commen.
dation Of the whole people. / am
opposed unalterably to any meas.
ure detrimental to their interests,
but in the spirit Of fairness we must
first be convinced that such meas.
ure is detrimental to their interests.
Careful examination Of both tho
bill and Of my speech on immigration
revenls not one line indicating
policy which is any sense detrimental
TO tho Interests Of nill people. The
whole teuor of my speech advocates
the introduction OF farm laboreEs and
farm owners, and that, too, in sections
OF country which are wasting away for
laok Of sufficient intelligent white
labor 60 properly cultivate the soil.
The bill has no bearing on immigrs-
tion further than to guard against the
influx OF worthless immigrants, and TO
provide means of selecting the beet
amongst those whom the u. s. gov
ernment has already admitted. While
the measure is an excellent one, and
could resu.: only in good in selecting
. high Glass population to take the
places Of chose who have turned from
farming to the manufacturing field,
still it does not and cannot compel
any State to take advantage Of it that
does not elect TO do 90. In case q
State should elect to avail itself Of the
provisions Of such law the bill re-
quires that. the u. 8. government
shall furnish the States agent with
quarters and such information as will
enable him to guard against worthless
immigrants in his selections. The
bill 10 in every eense discriminative
and restrictive in it's provisions and
narrows rather than widens the doors
to immigrants. The fact is, the good
people who now operate our cotton
mills we're once tho main stay of our
farming population and in consequence
Of their change Of occupation farm
lands are idle and Improbable. In
many seotions Of the State we are sd.
vanoing in manufacturing, but il 10
too often at the expense OF declining
agriculture. The necessity for white
immigrants is not 80 apparent In An
derson County If indeed it exists at
all, but Anderson County serves as q
splendid object lesson when it is COM
pared with other counties. .of the State
which have . thin white population.
Our land is owned mainly by small
white farmere who look to its preser.
vstion and upbuiiding, and the con.
eequenoe is it. is three times as vaiu-
able commercially as that Of counties
less favored in the matter Of white
citizens. Would any man in Ander.
con County aay that the county would
be more prosperous IL half our white
population moved out Of it2 Would.
this not be considered Ga absurd prop
aais;es Then il follows that coun-
ty that has less than half the white
population per square mile is just to
che. extent ir11T5F 5nd less prosperous
than we are when on. that population
production depends. IF Anderson
County does not need chem you may
be cure they will not come. here. il
you do Sst want thGn, they cannot .ec.
eapy your lands. .YouS eve NOT OBJ
iiged to. give Them place. sI
Halt an open question Wheeher or
not we need more white farmsEa IN
Anderson County IF We do mi, !.
which is BY no means conoe1ed, We.
should not act the, part Of the ndog.
in the manger and undertake 10 block
.she way for those Counties which
could utilize to great advantage intel
'ligent Anglo Saxon immigrants in
eonvesting barren waste into produe.
tive fields.
The bill Gin question 4io best inter.
preted id the light of what I have
previously said on the Btump. The
closest:soyutiny Of my speech does not
reveal q word advocating the intro
duotion OF any people other than agri.
culturists.
The immigration Law cs this State
provides (Sec. ID ssehat immigrants
shalls be confined 70 white oitizens Of
the, United States, citizens Of Ireland !.
Scotland, Switzerland, France and all
other foreigners Of Saxon origin"
Is viii be ssen, therefore, that the
object Of the Act is to prevent any
exceps the best people from coming
here. ~
The bill provides for the selection
Of worthy immigrants By 60 .gent OF
this State, and, Of course, under the
restrictions Of the laws OF this State,
and does not, and necessarily could
not, impose any regulations not sanc-
1ianed by our ogn Legislature and ap-
proved By our votes. ,S3 ,S %,@ "
8 But let us see il immigration does
notsnotually benefit in great measure
0i1e liaannla AriRaned In mannfa a tnsi nn