Bismarck daily tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, Dakota [N.D.]) 1881-1916, 1905-12-05

always provided, however, that
stricter effort is made to see that only
immigrants OF the right kind come to-
our country anywhere. In actual prac-
tice 1t has proved 50 dif1cult to enforce
the immigrat ton laws where long
stretches Of frontier marked BY an Inn
aginary line alone intervene between
us and our neighbors that i recon-
mend that no immigrants be allowed
to come In from Canada and Mexico
save natives Of the two countries them
selves. AS much as possible should be.
done to distribute the immigrants upon
the land and keep them away from the
congested tenement house districts Of
the great cities. But distribution is q
palliative, not q cure. The prime need
ts to keep out all immigrants who will
not make good American citizens. The
laws now existing for the exclusion
of undesirable immigrants should be
strengthened. Adequate means should
be adopted, enforced by sufficient pen
alties, to compel steamship companies
engaged In the passenger business to
observe In good faith the law which
fOrbids them to encourage or solicit
immigration to the United States.
Moreover, there should be q sharp limi-
tation imposed upon all vessels coming
to our ports as to the number Of immi-
grants In ratio to the tonnage which
each vessel can carry. This ratio.
should be high enough to insure the
coming hither Of as good class OF
aliens as possible. Provision should be
made for the surer punishment Of those
who induce aliens to come to this conn
try under promise or assurance Of en-
ployment. 1t should be made possible
to infict q sufficiently heavy penalty
on any employer violating this law to
deter him from taking the risk. It
seems to me wise that there should be
an international conference held to
deal with this question Of immigration,
which has more than a merely national
Significance. Such a conference could
among other things enter at length
into the methods for securing a thor
ough inspection Of would be immi-f 4
grants at the ports from which they
desire to embark before permitting
them to embark. An
In dealing with this question It is nm
wise to depart from the old American
tradition and to discriminate for or
against any man who desires to come
here and become a citizen, save on the
ground of that mans fitness for citi-
zenship. It is our right and duty to !
consider his moral and social quality.
His standard Of living should be such
that he will not by pressure of COM
petition lower the standard Of living Of
our own wageworkers, for it must
ever be prime object Of our legisla-
ton to keep high their standard Of liv-
Ing. II the man who seeks to come
here Is from the moral and social
standpoint Of such character as to-
bid fair to add value to the community
he should be heartily welcomed. We
cannot afford to pay heed to whether
he is of one creed or another, Of one ma.
ton or another. We cannot afford to
consider whether he is Catholic or Prot
estant, Jew or gentle; whether he Is
Englishman or Irishman, Frenchman
or German, Japanese, Italian, Scandi-
navian, Slay or Magyar. What we
should desire to find out is tho indi-
vidual quality Of the individual man.
In my Judgment, with this end In view,
we shall have to prepare through our
own agents a far more rigid inspection
in the countries from which the immi-
grants come. It will be a great deal
better to have fewer immigrants, but
all Of the right kind, than a great num-
Der Of immigrants, many Of whom are
necessarily Of the wrong kind. Az far
as possible we wish to limit the Inn
migration to this country to persons
who propose to become citizens OF this
country, and we can well AFFORD to In
sist upon adequate scrutiny OF the
character Of those who are thus pro-
posed for future citizenship. There
should be an increase In the stringency
of the laws to keep out insane, idiotic,
epileptic and pauper immigrants, but
this is by no means enough. Not mere
" the anarchist, but every man Of an
archistic tendencies, all violent and dis
orderly people, all people Of bad char
acter, the incompetent, the lazy, the
vicious, the physically unit, defective
or degenerate should be kept out. The
stocks out Of which American citizen
ship Is to be built should be- strong ana
healthy. sound In body, mind and char
acter. Il II be objected that the
government agents would not always
select well, the answer Is that they
would certainly select better than do:
the agents and brokers Of foreign
steamship companies, the people who
now do whatever selection Ia done.
| CHINESE IMMIGRATION
Coolies Mast Be Kept ont but Otbess
Should Be Encouraged to Gone.