Vernon County censor. [volume] (Viroqua, Wis.) 1865-1955, 1905-12-13

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goods to neutral markets, and in case
OF need to reinforce our battle line. II
Is not a good thing that American
merchants and manufacturers should
have to send their goods and letters to
South America via Europe If they
wish security and dispatch
immigration.
The question of immigration is of
vital interest to this country. In the
year ending June 30, there came to
The United States 1.026000 alien i'm
migrants In other words, in the
single year that has just elapsed there
came to this country a greater mum
! Der of people than came here during
! the 169 years Of our colonial life
which interviewed between the first
/ landing at jamestown and the declar-
alton of independence. While much
Of this enormous immigration is un-
doubtedly healthy and natural, con
| siderable proportion is undesirable
for one reason or another, moreover, a
considerable proportion of it, probably
very large proportion, including
most of the undesirable class, does
not come here of its own initiative.
but because of the activity of the
agents of the great transportation
companies These agents are dis
tributed throughout Europe, and by
the offer of all kinds of inducements
they wheede and cajole many immi-
grants, often against their best in
terest. TO come here. Perhaps ii would
be possible to limit the number Of i'm
migrants allowed to come in any one
year to New York and other northern
cities, while leaving unlimited the
number allowed to come to the
south; always provided. however, that
a stricter effort Is made to see tnat
only Immigrants of the right kind
come to our country anywhere.
AS much as possible should
be done to distribute the Immigrants
upon the land and keep them away
from the great citlCs, The prime
need is to keep out all immigrants
who will not make coed American citi-
zens. Adequate means should be
adopted, enforced by sufficient penal
ties, to compel steamship companies
engaged in the passenger BUSINESS
to observe in good faith thn law
which forbids them to encourage or
solicit immigration TO the United
States. II is unwise TO depart from
the old American tradition and to dis
criminate for or against any man who
desires TO come here and become a
citizen. save en- the ground OF that
mans fitness for citizenship. It is
our right and duty to consider his
moral and social quality. His
standard of living should Ne such that
he viii not, by pressure or com
petition, lower the standard of liv-
must ever be a prime object Of our
legislation to keep high their stand
ard of living. If the man who seeks
| 10 come here is from the moral and
social standpoint or sucn a cnarac-
/ ter as to bid fair 10 add value to ..,y
community he should be heartily vel
coined. We can not AFFORD 20 pay
| hee6 10 whether he Is Of one creed or
another, of one nation or another. We
can not afford TO consider whether he
/ is Catholic or Protestant. Jew or Gen
! tile; whether he is Englishman or
] Irishman. Frenchman or German.
japanese, Italian. scandinavian, Slav,
or Magyar What we should desire
TO find out Is the individual quality of
the individual man. In the presi-
dents judgment with this end in
view, we shall have to prepare through
our own agents a far more rigid in.
spection in the countries from which
the immigrants come.
The questions arising In connection
with Chinese immigration stand by
themselves. The conditions in China
are such that the entire Chinese coolie
class. that is, the class OF Chinese
Iaborers, skilled and unskllled, legiti-
mately come under the head of ,nde-
siratle immigrants 10 this country. be
cause of their numbers. the low wage
for which they work, and their low
standard Of living No. only is it to
the interest OF this country 70 keep
them out, but the Chinese authori-
ties do not desire that they should be