The Montgomery advertiser., 1907-10-10
BLOW TO THE SOUTH.
DECISION. or BONAPARrE pI
 sTROYs IMMIGRATION.
Opinion is So Sweeping That Censrcss May Be Asked to Amend law ns to Fsreign Cit-
 izema

A special from Washington to The l Chicago Tribune says:
 Attorney General Bonaparte's latest decision, interpreting the new immi- grafton law will thwart if not de- stroy the movement in the South to encourage European laborers to go to that section of the country.
 This decision of the Attorney Gen. eral will be sure to. provoke trouble in the. Southern States, and this is quite as certain to be reflected in Con- gress during the next session. The immigration law of February 20 was passed by an express guarantee on the part of. the Republican leaders in the Senate that 1t would not interfere with the plans of the South to secure white labor for that section. Southern Sem ators and members of the House are certain to charge breach of faith on the part of the Republican leaders, be- cause every dectsfon has been moresor less adverse to the plan of the States to assist irnmigration.
 The opinion rendered by the Attor- ney General today declares that when a State. through it's regular board of immigration. holds out the promise of employment to an intending immi- grant, even although no employer Is specified. and although the immigrant Is free to secure any employment he sees fit. there is a distinct violation of the contract labor law. \ The Attorney General does not. it has been stated, insist that a State shall not pay the passage of an immi- grant, but he does hold that no prom ise of employment whatsoever must pc made, either by State or an individ- uaL This is a blow which seems to dispose entirely of the movement which had gained such headwaysin the South to induce Europeans. by promise of employmeht faDd by payment of pas- sage money, to go to the South instead of the congested North Atlantic cities
 This decision.. taken with those which preceded 1t. is so sweeping that It probably will require entirely new leg islation on the part of Congress to satisfy the Southern States. As soon as this legislation is proposed an at- tack is certain to be made on 1t by some ct the labor leaders. and 1t may be doubted whether Congress, on the eve of a presidential election. would be willing to grant the relief asked by the Southern people.
 In that case they will be sure to in- fiuence their Senators and Representa- tives, and the fight in Congress prom ises to be an extremely bitter one, with charges of deceit and bad faith made by Southerners against some of the most prominent Republican leaders. in- cluding some Senators who are close to President Roosevelt although the Pres-' ident, as Is we'll understood. is entires ly in. sympathy with the attempt to assist Immigrants into Southern States.
 Now the decision has gone against the State of. Louisiana by means of habeas corpus proceeding or otherwise will get the case before the United States Court in the belief that the Att torney General has made a serious mistake in his interpretation of the law.
 For the purpose of showing this the State authorities will refer to the fact that there were peculiar conditions which surrounded the passage of the new law in February. &
 There had been tackled on to it In conference a provision for the settle ment of the Japanese coolie question, so as to stop those of that nation who were coming into tine United States on passports issued to Hawaii and other countries. Congress was to adjourn by law on March 1. and7t country gen. orally was cIamoring for some sort of settlement of the Japanese question. The passage of the knew immigration law waaA therefore deemed immensely important. It could not possibly have been passed without the assistance and consent of the Democratic Senators. They called attention at the time to the fact that the section regarding the ex-