The Washington herald., 1907-03-16
The Southern immigration Problem.

The new immigration law contains a
provision intended to prevent the impor-
tation OF foreign labor through state
immigration agencies, according to the
method now employed by South Carolina.
Under the old law. as interpreted by the
Solicitor of the Department of Commerce
and Labor, and subsequently by the At
torney General, the South Carolina plan
was permissible. but an amendment
adopted at the last session Of Congress,
in spite Of the bitter opposition Of South
Crn members. in effect excludes immi-
grants whose passage has been paid di-
rectly or indirectly by any corporation,
association, society, municipality. or for
oiln government" thus making Illegal
vital feature OF the South Carolina plan,
the payment Of the passage money Of Sc
lected immigrants out Of a fund raised
by private associations and turned over
10 the State immigration agent to be ex-
pended. As a number OF Southern States
were preparing 10 adopt the South Caro-
lima plan. which promised 10 do much to
solve the labor problem in the South. the
new legislation has aroused considerable
resentment in that section as a fresh
manifestation of Federal discrimination
i'm favor of Northern industrial interests.
During the debate in the Senate on this
provision Of the immigration bill, Senator
Lodge disclaimed any purpose on the
part Of the trainers OF that measure to
discriminate against any State or anv
section. He maint2ined that if the
South Carolina system were extended. it
would operate 10 destroy the efficacy Of
the cnntract-labor laws. There is rot 3
State in the Union, he said, (which
could not, under the guise of a State
agent, allow its corporations. railroad
and manufacturing. to introduce any
amount of contract labor they chose to
bring The trouble is not in having a
State appropriate money to promote
immigration to the State The trouble
Is in having the money furnished by the
capitalists behind and, If you draw over
them the thin veil OF a State agency, it
does not alter the thing in the least. -
Mr.. Lodge declared that the new provi-
sion did not modify the present law ex-
cepung the States from the operation of
certain clauses forbidding the assist
agreed emphadcally with this contention.
insisting that the amendment under dis
cussion would utterly nuIlify the pres
ent law so far as any practical work can
be done under it, He explained that the
Southern States could not afford to make
appropriations for the importation Of
lahoTers. and that in his State the Iegis-
lature could not cOnstitutionalIy appro-
pirate money for such a purpose. For
these reasons. he argued. the movement
10 bring immigrants 20 the South was de-
pendent on private contributions. which.
as we have seen, cannot be used to pre-
pay the passage of foreign Iaborers after
the new law goes into effect
Just what a State may do toward III
ducing immigration is a matter which
the Attorney General is now considering
with a view 70 an Interpretation Of the
new legislation. He has already given
an opinion that immigrants brought into
the country on the South Carolina plan
would De excluded by the new law But
il Is certain that there are legitimate
means by which tie State. through appro-
pirate agency, may induce immigration,
and it is probable that there is no legal