The news & observer., 1905-12-06


suitable and proper entertainment and
instruction :n the historic events of
our country for all who may visit the
exposition and to whom we have ten
dercd our hospitality.
Pensions.
II is matter of unmixed satisfac-
ton once more to call attention to the
excellent work of the Pension Bureau;
for the veterans of the civil war have
a greater claim upon us than any other
class of our citizens. TO them first OF
al among our people, honor is due.
To Care for Confederate Dead.
Seven years ago my lamented prede-
cessor, President Mckinley. stated that
the time had come for the Nation Is
care for the graves Of the Confederate
dead. / recommend that the Congress
take action towards this end. The
first need is to take charge of the
graves of The Confederate dead who
died in Northern prisons.
Immigration
The question of immigration is Of
vital interest to this country. IN the
year ending June 30, 1906 there came
to the United States 100000 imml-
grants. In other words, in the single
year that has Just elapsed there came
to this country a greater number OF
people than came here during the one
hundred and SiXtV-nine years of our
colonial life which intervened between
the first landing at Jamestown and the
declaration Of Independence, 1t is
clearly shown in the report of the
COmmissiOneT-G General of immigration
that while much of this enormous inn
miar3tion is undoubtedly healthy and
natural a considerable proportion is
undesirable from one reason or an
Other: moreover. a considerable pro-
portion of it, probably a very large pro-
portion, including most of the unde-
sirable class. does not come here of it's
own initiative. but because of the ac-
tivitY Of the ager+- Of the great trans
poTtation companies. These agents
are distributed throughout Europe,
end by the offer of all kinds of induce
ments they wheedle and cajole many
immigrants often against their best
interest, to come here. The most Sc
rious obstacle we have to encounter i'll
the effort TO secure q proper regulation
Of the immigration to these shores
arises from the determined opposition
of the foreign steamship lines who
have no interest whatever in the mat
ter save to increase the returns on
rneir capital by carrying masses OF
immigrants hither in the Steerage
quarters OF their ships
As l said in my last Message to the
Congress, we can not have too much
immigration of the right sort, and we
should nave none whatever of the
wrong sort OF course il is desirable
that even the right kind of immgra-
ton should be properly distributed in
this country We need more of such
immigration Cor the South; and specs
ial effort should be made to secure it.
Perhaps = would be possible to limit
the number of immigrants allowed to
Crn'e IN any one year to New York
and other northern cities While leav-
ing unlimited the number allowed to
come 10 the South; always provided,
however, that n stricter effort is made
to see that only immigrants of the
right kind come TO our country any
where. In actual practice it has
proved SO difficult to enforce the immi-
grafton laws where long stretches of
frontier marked by imaginary lin
alone intervene between us and ou
neighbcrs that l recommend that n
Immigrants be allowed to come
from canada and Mexico, save native
of the two countries themselves. a
much as possible should be done to dis
tribute the immigrants upon the land
and keep them away from the con-
gested tenement-house districts of the
great cities. But distribution is pail
liative, not a cure. The prime need is
to keep out al immigrants who will
not make good American citizens The
law row existing for the exclusion of
undesirable immigrants should be
strengthened. Adequate means should
be adopted. enforced by sufficient pen
altiSs. 70 compel steamship companies
engaged in the passenger business to
observe in good faith the law which
foTbids thcm to encourage or solicit
immigration TO the United States
Moreover, there should be a sharp linn
itaticn imposed upon al vessels COM
ing TO ou~ ports as TO the number Of
immigrants in ratio to the tonnage
which each vessel can carry. This RAJ
ito should be high enough to insure
the coming hither of as good class of
Pliens as possible. Provision should be
made for rhe surer punishment of
those who induce aliens to come t.
this country under promise or assur-
ance oe employment. It should be
made possible TO infiict a sufficiently
heavy penalty on any employer violat-
ing this law to deter him from taking
the risk. It seems to me wise that
there should be IN international con-
ference he'd to deal with this question
of Immigration which has more than
Il merely national significance; such a
could among other things
enter IT length into the methods for
securing "a thorough inspection of
immigrants at the ports from
which they desire to embark before
permitting them to embark.
In dealing With this question it is
unwisc 10 depart from the old Ameri-
can tradition and 70 discriminate for
or AGAINST any man who desires to
Ccmc b6 re and become a citizen. save
on h ground o. that mans fitness for
Ciizrnship. Il is our right and duty
,, .I.-J ,, % q 71d cnpi2l