Omaha daily bee., 1906-10-21

Europe and the Atlantic ocean to spend
their last days with their own flesh and
blood only to find that they are so old and
so poor that they are likely TO become pub
lie charges and must go back. at least to
the community where they once had
home. Perhaps the case will be that Of
lover and sweetheart who have been sepa-
rated for years while he was in this coun-
try building@up a home for her. Now that
II is ready, the girl follows him, only TO be
detained. torn frCm his arms and sent back
across the seas because of some physical
fault. or some misrepresentation she has
made, thinking to get into the country the
easier. Again. half OF seine small village,
coming on some ticket agents false rep
reservations, will be found to be contract
laborers, and will be returned, ruined.
Such crowd usually presents a scene on
sailing day that would defy reproduction
in words
Latterly. the poor victims OF our system
often fail to reach their homes at all, es-
pecially II they come from some territory
which Is being newly exploited by the i'm
migrant agents. One immigrant who 10
sent back to his native town can frighten
300 ndghbors away from the steamship
ticket Offices. Knowing this by bitter ex-
RTilciiOcs the bib hBcHNs WIN FptChiaNc ~
immigrant traffic try to induce the returned
Immigrants to go elsewhere in the world
rather than face the shame Of failure at
home. II the immigrant has money he
usually goes to Australia, South Africa
South America or Mexico. If he and his
family have been particularly unfortunate
and their case is likely TO be talked abou
through a large district, the agents will
practically force the family into embarka-
ton for Brazil or South Africa on tickets
furnished by the agents
The latest case Of note has all those prln-
ciples OF blunder In II that have sought
to point out In this article. It is that OF
the Terra family, the father OF which lives
in the residence section of Coney Island.
He came here twenty years ago became
an ice dealer. prospered greatly and has
been naturalized citizen for some time.
His habit was to return frequently to Italy
to visit his family, but on May 20 he
brought them over on the Germania, hav-
Ing fitted up beautiful home for them.
The wife and four children arrived safely,
but two Of the daughters were found TO
have trachoma and have been ordered de-
ported, under a decision by Justice La
combe that the children OF a naturalized
parent born out Of the jurisdiction of the
United States before the naturalization OF
the parent are aliens
After what I have related above IN bere
skeleton facts, without picturinE the ply
steal and mental horrors of the long voy-
ages in the steerage, the life in the deten-
ton pen and the miserable state OF affair
after the deportations I do not believe
that have failed of carrying conviction
as to the character and enorn1ity Of the
wrongs done the deported immigrants. To
consider a remedy, the situation must be
analysed. The basic principle is that II
the aliens had known that they were goine
to be debarred they would not have left
home The great mass learn It for the first
time at the port of departure, and In nine
teen cases out OF twenty their surprise
amounts TO bewilderment
Every agency that promotes immigration
conspires to keep them in the dark or n
lead them to believe that they can evadt
the American laws. When they once leav,
home the die is cast; they are committed
The conclusion IL plain: inform the alier
! OF HIS admissdblity or his inadmissibilit,
where the knowledge will do him the leas
harm-that is. in his home town. The onl,
way correctly to inform him Is to examin,
and pass him there. Fortunately. this 4
the system which must eventually super
sede the old one for the protection of tn
United states without regard to the treat
ment OF the IMMIGRANT. The gigantic an
nual crime of running tens OF thousands o
happy families stands to our everlasting
/, discredt. and should form the pr'ncira
reason for urging the speedy instalIatio,
: OF an adequate system OF foreign inspec
tion.