Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1906-11-20
The immigration Question.

Up to this time Commissioner Of I'm
migration Watson is in the position Of
having achieved a most remarkable
success in the matter of bringing over
a ship load of immigrants from Bel
gium to Charleston; but If he Is al
lowed to hold on to the honors that
are now his, 1t will be through no fault
of the American Federation Of Labor,
northern and western newspapers and
other hostile influences.
The whole country Is more or less
interested in the immigration question.
It has always been so, and now the sit
uation is more acute than ever, espe-
cially because of the tremendous scar
city Of labor in every department OF
industry, and because every depart
ment Of industry seems to be Offering
inducements the like of which have
never been known in the history Of the
country-inducement which seem to
require an abundance Of labor to make
available.
Until a few years ago there were no
restrictions on foreign immigration.
All kinds Of people were allowed to
come in without question, and several
foreign governments began utilizing
the situation to dump off on us their
hopelessly criminals, diseased and
pauper classes. After this had pro-
ceeded to a point where it began to
be felt. congress passed laws intend
ed to correct the evil. But still the
bars were left down to able bodied la
borers Of all kinds, and there develop
ed a situation as the result Of which,
wherever there was need for consider
able labor for any kind Of big public
or corporation work, contractors went
abroad and brought back great crowds
Of foreigners who, after finishing up
the particular job for which they were
employed returned to their homes on
the other side, taking with them the
greater part Of their American earn
ings.
AS the result Of long continued agi-
tation by the various labor organiza-
tions of this country, congress was, in
the course Of time, induced to make
laws intended to prohibit the impor-
tation of contract labor. The laws
made it an offense for an American to
offer inducements of any kind to Sc
cure the immigration of foreign labor
ers to this country, and the custom Of
paying the way Of immigrants was
specifically prohibited under heavy
penalties. 1t was stipulated that no
foreigner should be allowed to enter
this country unless he could read and
write in his own language, unless he
paid his own way and had certain
amount of cash on hand after his arri-
val, and he is also required to give the
authorities satisfactory assurance that
he will not become a charge on the
public.
1t is now being charged by the
American Federation of Labor and by
numerous newspapers that have gone
into the fight, that Commissioner Wat
son, although an officer of the state Of
South Carolina, has really been oper-
ating as the agent of various cotton
mills and other corporations, farmers,
ETC., and that these agencies furnished
the money with which it is alleged
that Mr.. Watson smoothed the way OF
his Wittekind passengers.
Mr.. Watson, 1t is said, is not worried
by any of these reports. He claims to
have kept strictly within the law from
start to finish and awaits with conf
dence the final outcome Of the in
vestigations that are now being made
by Commissioner Sargent.
1t is not to be denied that there Is
considerable hostility to the immigra-