The Idaho Republican. [volume] (Blackfoot, Idaho) 1904-1932, 1905-11-03

NE PENSION pufeoui r0f inc veterans OF
o|civil war have q greater claim upon us
~ any other class OF our citizens To
ID, FIRST of all among our people. honor Is
wen years ago my lamented predecessor,
s1Sident Mckinley, stated that the time had
ne for the nation to care for the graves OF
x Confederate dead. | recommend that the
3ngress take action towards this end. The
- need Is to take charge of the graves
The Confederate dead who died in North
= prisons.
immigration.
1rhe question of immigration is Of vital in
rest to this country. In the year ending
be 80, 1905, there came to the United States
e6, 900 alien immigrants. In other words,
the single year that has just elapsed there
me to this country greater number of
Alple than came here during the one hun
I'D and sixty mine years of our colonial life
itch interviewed between the first landing
jamestown and the Declaration of Inde-
k,dence. 1t Is clearly shown in the report
! the Commissioner General of immigration
u while much Of this enormous immigra-
Is undoubtedly healthy and natural,
\ lsderable proportion is undesirable from
reason or another moreover, a consid
q pie proportion of it, probably very large
, portion, including most Of the undesr-
~ class, does not come here Of its own in
live, but because of the activity of the
! be agents are distributed throughout Eu-
|, and by the offer of all kinds of induce
Its they wheedle and cajole many immi-
ITS, often against their best interest, to
ee here. The most serious obstacle we
! b to encounter in the effort to secure
der regulation of the immigration to these
Tres arises from the determined opposition
The foreign steamship lines who have no
tTest whatever in the matter save to in
use the returns on their capital by carry
flmasses Of immigrants hither in the steer
N quarters of their ships.
Is said in my last message to the Con-
lbs, we cannot have too much immigration
/ The right sort, and we should have none
atever of the wrong sort. OF course it is
hrable that even the right kind of imm-
dion should be properly distributed in this
intry. We need more Of such immigration
1.-THE South; and special effort should be
de to secure 1t. Perhaps it would be pos
u to limit the number of immigrants al
ved to come in any one year to New York
N other northern cities, while leaving un-
Mh always provided, however, that
lcter effort is made to see that only immi-
atnts of the right kind come to our country
where. In actual practice it has proved
dif6cult to enforce the immigration laws
ere long stretches Of frontier marked BY
Imaginary line alone intervene between us
-Four neighbors that recommend that no
Migrants be allowed to come in from Can
AI and Mexico, save natives OF the two
ymtres themselves. AS much as possible
"a MD be done to distribute the immigrants
" the land and keep them away from the
rested tenement-house districts of the
ct cities. But distribution is palliative,
FAA cure. The prime need Is to keep out
u Immigrants who will not make good
erican citizens. The laws now existing
the exclusion of undesirable immigrants
uld be strengthened. Adequate means
+ uld be adopted, enforced by sufficient pen
cd to compel steamship companies en-
ed in the passenger business to observe
good faith the law which forbids them to
n ourage or solicit immigration to the
j, erp limitation imposed upon all vessels
n ling to our ports as to- the number of i'm
rants in ratio to the tonnage which each
sol can carry. This ratio should be high
6 ugh to insure the coming hither Of as
q a class Of aliens as possible. Provision
uld be made for the surer punishment OF
se who induce aliens to come to this
ntry under promise or assurance Of en-
| yment. 1t should be made possible to in
'Ils a sufficiently heavy penalty on any en-
ter violating this law to deter him from
ng the risk. 1t seems to me wise that
e should be an international conference
L to deal with this question OF immigra-
p (which has more than merely national
ificance; such a conference could among
n things enter at length into the methods
securing thorough inspection of would
immigrants at the ports from which they
re to embark before permitting them to
ark.
dealing with this question 1t is unwise
"a iepart from the old American tradition
to discriminate for or against any man
desires to come here and become a citi-
save on the ground of that mans fitness
citizenship. 1t is our right and duty to
ider his moral and social quality. His
--dard of living should be such that he
not, by pressure of competition, lower
standard of living of our own wage
0l1ers; for it must ever be prime object
ur legislation to keep high their stand
Hof living. If the man who seeks to come
ID from the moral and social standpoint
UGH character as to bid fair to add
O. to the community he should be heartily
omed. We cannot afford to pay heed to
her he Is of one creed or another, Of one
IN or another We cannot afford to con-
whether he is Catholic or Protestant,
q sor Gentle; whether he is Englishman or
y man, Frenchman or German, Japanese,
m. Scandinavian. Slav, or Magyar, What
hould desire to find out is the individual
ty of the individual man. In my judg-
p with this end in view, we shall have
= repare through our own agents far
a s~RRrigid inspection in the countries from
Il the immigrants come. 1t will be
a deal better to have fewer immigrants,
II of the right kind, than great num-
=, Immigrants, many of whom are neces-
: Of the wrong kind AS far as possible
Dish to limit the immigration to this
ry to persons who propose to become
z" M Of this country, and we can well af-
to insist upon adequate scrutiny of the
cter of those who are thus proposed for
r. Ascitizenship. There should be an in
] ! sin the stringency OF the laws to keep
isane, idiotic, epleptic, and pauper i'm
EOnts. But this is by no means enough.
~ merely the anarchist. but every man of
htufin faDdonoipS oil violent and dis
~ people, all people Of bad character,
lcompetent, the lazy, the vicious, the
ALLY unfit, defective, or degenerate
i be kept out. The stocks out of which
can citizenship is to be built should be
aand healthy, sound in body mind and
ter. II it be objected that the govern
,nO agents would not always select we'll,
! EjViswer Is that they would certainly Sc
rttter than do the agents and brokers of
lsteamship companies, the people who
% whatever selection is done.
wal questions arising in connection with
y Immigration stand by themselves.
In, nditions in China are such that the o.
wv hinese coolie class, that is, the class
= r nese laborers, skilled and unskilled,
IIately come under the head of unde-
Immigrants to this country, because
/, O Nr numbers, the low wages for which
ork, and their low standard of living.
me lily ID 1t to the interest of this country
nv p them out but the Chinese authori
not desire that they should be ad-
At present their entrance is pro-
by laws amply adequate to accom-
HIS purpose. These laws have been,
an ag, and will be, thoroughly enforced.
ilations of them are so few in number
Glinhnitesimal and can be entirely dis
> 4. There is no serious proposal to
" immigration law as regards the
c. n aborer, skilled or unskiled, and
%no excuse for any man feeling or
, an Ito feel the slightest alarm on the
/ ,roS, the effort to carry out the policy of
lGNNkg Chinese laborers, Chinese coolies,
Justice and wrong have been done
adv nation to the people of China, and
" ultimately to this nation itself.
nj l. Sttudents, business and professional
~ LII Linds-not only merchants hut