The Minneapolis journal., 1905-08-05
DON'T WANT EN-
IN MINNESOTA
GREAT MASS OF IMMIGRANTS ARE
UNDESIRABLE CITIZENS.
W. D. Washburn, Jr., Investigates the
Subject First Hand at Ellis Island
Believes that Many Paupers and In
sane Are Worked off on This Country
Labor Should Work for Restriction.

Representative w. D. Washburn. Jr..
has just returned from New York,
where, at the request of Governor John
son and State Auditor Iverson, he vis-
lied the immigration station at Ellis
lsland Last week, to find whether it
would be possible to direct a portion
OF the immigration, arriving at that
Polnt, to Minnesota. Mr.. Washburn
PAD the following to say about the sub
II talked with Mr.. 'Watchorn, the
commissioner, and also the manager of
the bureau Of labor, and found that it
would be impossible to handle the i'm
migration at that point. Mr.. Watchorn
informed me that nearly 80 per cent of
the immigrants now arriving had al
ready selected their destination and
| they. arrived at New York. This is
particularly the case with the desirable
farming population.
livery little Of the immigration now
arriving in New York is of a high order
and most Of it would not be desirable
ADDITION to any population. Over a
million immigrants will arrive this
year; 100000 came last year, and some
years. Of this vast number shS aSe Of 'htSe neW
arrivals, only q. small per cent come
from the Scandinavian and Germanic
countries. A large proportion of il
consists of Italians, Poles, Russians anC
all sorts of people from the Danubiar
princiipalities. These include all sorts
Of mixed bloods from Servia, Rumanis
and Bulgaria. A large proportion Of
and many of them are diseased and in
sane when they arrive at New York. il
spite Of every effort Of the migration
office, large numbers of criminal am
insane slip thru Ellis Island and at,
Immediately added to the incompetent
insane and criminal element of our OWL
country.
Insane and Paupers Unloaded.
"While the commissioner denied tha
there is a concerted effort in European
countries to land their criminal an
insane people upon the United States
! .hrong Of immigrants to conclude tina
1lch is the fact. Under the present la1
there is nothing to prevent an immi
grant landing in this country if he j
in good health and has a small amour
Of cash. Large numbers of weakl
and incompetent people are also admit
ted upon bond given from thei
friends that they will not become pull
lie charges. I was Informed at tn
ldDOI CudC, UulS prov 1S1O
Of the law, large numbers Of incompt
tents and diseased arrive in New Yor
under fictitious names. Bonds are the
given and they afterwards disappear
the population under different name
and finally become public charges.
cit is a matter Of amazement to m
that the United States permits tn
enormous Influx Of undesirable popul;
tion to enter our gates without protes
Three quarters Of the population no
arriving is wholly unfit. for America
citizenship. Many Of them come fro
countries where the whole mentl
thought is opposed to our form of 60,
ernment, and they are a burden on tt
. democratic government from the da
they arrive. While we can absorb ar
7 Americanize a certain percentage
r ignorant and incompetent people, tn
: element has now assumed such lar@
dimensions that it will be impossib
= to Americanize them for a generatio
, Most Of them Immediately herd in lars
centers, where they continue to spea
, their own language and preserve the
; own customs. I should say that almo
4 two-thirds Of the present immigratie
remains either in New York city
9 states and New England. New En-
). land has simply been colonized by Its
g ians, Russians and Poles. They hay
< driven out American labor from tt
). labor markets very largely, and in tt
< small New England villages one fin
4 more foreigners than Americans.