Carolina watchman. [volume] (Salisbury, N.C.) 1871-1937, 1906-04-25
IMMIGRANTS FOR The SOUTH.
The Right Of the South to Insist Upon Hav-
Ing None Save the Best.

Ing None Save the Best.
Robert De G. Ward in the rradesman, JULY
18th, 1905.
For many years congressional
committees have paid attention to
what is known as assisted" i'm
migration, that is, the prepayment
ofan aliens passage by relative,
or friend, or employer, OH this
side of the water, or by charitab o
societies, or local government au-
Ghorities on the other side. There
has always been much evil in as
sisted' immigration, for it has
oeen shown, over and over again,
that extremely undesirable lmmi-
grants have been sent here in order
hat they might be gotten off the
hands of the local authorities in
their own homes. Charitable So
eieties still send aliens to US from
Europe. Aliens come hero on
tickets which are prepaid by dis
tant relatives and friends of theirs
-rn the United States, and then
these distant relatives and friends
often fail to support or to care for
them after they arrive. Employ
ers, directly or indirectly. encour-
age the prepayment of passages in
order that they may secure cheaper
labor. There is no question what
ever'that some of our "assisted"
immigration is of the best. This
is especially true when a husband
sends for a wife or a brother for
sister, or a son for a father and
mother. There is a little danger
that immigrants "assisted" to
come in this way will become bur-
dens upon the community. But
the more distant the relationship,
the less claim the new arrival has
upon the person already here, and
;shs less desirable. Oh the. whole. is
Che assisted' aliens Congress
Some years ago very properly rec
ognized the danger in "assisted"
immigration when it debarred from
landing 'auy persons whose ticket
or passage is paid for with the
money of another, or who Is assist
ed by others to Gomez. But in
order to make it possible for the
members of family to send for
one another, the following words
we're added: "But this section
shall not be held to prevent per-
sons living in the United States
from sending for a relative or
friend who is not of the x 4 x ex-
cluded classes.' The motive of
congress was excellent, but the
phrasing Of the law is too loose to
meet existing conditions. At
present more than so per cent, Of
our total immigration is "assist-
ed" and, for an "assisted" immi-
grant, anyone is "friend,'' and
anyone up to fifth or sixth cou-
sin several times removed, is a
"relative.' The time has come
with our present enormous immi-
| grafton, to restrict to the imme-
diate family the privilege of ''as-
sisting' other aliens. As rule,
it is safe to say that the best i'm
migrants are those who are able
to pay their own passages. We
should certainly allow fathers and
mothers, and brothers and sisters,
and husbands and wives and chill
dren to prepay each others pas
sages. Beyond that, ''assisted''
immigration should be stopped
Therefore, the clause concerning
"assisted immigration should be
followed by some such words as
these: But this section shall
not be held to prevent citizens o1
the United States (instead of per
sons living in) from sending fol
their fathers or mothers, husband
( or wives, sisters or brothers, OF
minor children who are not of tht
excluded classes A bill intro