The herald and news. [volume] (Newberry S.C.) 1903-1937, 1907-11-26
SECRETARY PATTEN
TALKS IMMIGRATION.
Official Of immigration Restriction
League in Columbia to Attend
Commissioners Meeting.

retary of the immigration Restrlc-
ton League, stopped off to attend
the meeting of the commissioners this
week. The immigration Restriction
League is composed Of P bile spirit
ed men like Owen Wister, the novel
ist, Henry Holt. the publisher, James
Bronson Reynolds the presidents in
spector and adviser, John Fiske, the
historian, Joseph Lee the philan-
thropist and others. The object Of
the League is legislation that will sift
out the undesirables. 1t has had
much to do with securing existing
laws, especially those designed to ex-
clude idiots, imbeeiles, criminals,
paupe1s, the insane and the like. Mr..
Patten as secretary has had charge
Of the Leagues efforts and has Civ
en- the subject much study and IL
vest1gation.
"The immigration problem" " said
Mr.. Patten, "is one Of the most i'm
portant, if not the most important,
question now confronting the north
east, and it is extremely gratifying
to see the interest which the south
is taking in the matter, because you
people hold the key to the situation
and its solution. The northeast is
overrua with undesirable aliens as
a result Of leaving their selection
entirely / ;he profit-making choice
Of the big foreign steamship COM
panies, and it is now proposed to dis
tribute and divert these hordes to the
southern states in answer to the de-
mand Of the north for relief.
"No one objects to immigration
as such. It is the admittedly deter
iorated and continually deteriorat-
ing quality of this new Immigration
from sections of Europe and Asia so
different from ours in every essen
tial attribute and which are sending
US their very worst elements that
alarm all thoughtful students of the
problem and is causing so many Diff
Rcult, charitable, political ana even
racial problems up north.
"Your man Watson has the right
idea it seems to me. State selection
the careful picking Of Immigrants
by your own officials, or under their
supervision, is the only feasible plan
if you would escape the serious evils
from which certain northern COM
munities are suffering so painfully,
and which threatens their very So
cial structure. Such foreign steam
ship companies as the Cunard and
the International Marine are simply
using the northeast as dumping
ground for undesirable immigration
which Of course is the most profita-
BILE to them. Their sole object is pro-
fits. We have got to have more fed
eral legislation in the way Of the
exclusion Of the penniless pauper,
the ignorant, the unintelhgent, the
iliterate adults, and measures that
will be some test of the character
the calibre, and the economic, politi-
cal, racial and social fitness for citi-
zenship in our enlightened democra-
cy. Last year over one million and
quarter immigrants landed in this
country. Three fourths of them set
tied in the large cities of six north
eastern states. Over half the multi
tude was absolutely penniless. Is it
any wonder that less than one-tenth
went to the 36 states and territories
ives Of the Mississippi river and south
of the Potomac when they were fore
ed by their own circumstances to
settle down at whatever work land
whatever wage they could get in the
very port where they landed? Of the
number over 100000 adults could not
read or write a single line in any
Language, let alone speak a word Of
English. It is these ignorant and
*illiterate army among others who
ought by all means to be excluded.
They are the most profitable traf-
flc because they will put up with any
kind of conditions and fare. Their
coming prevents the coming Of the
more desirable. If the steamships
cannot bring the undesirable they
will fill their steerage with the desir-
able. It is the ignorant and illiterate
who are destitute Of resources, eitllA
er in ability or the knowledge Of
self-support as we'll as money: who
have very low standards Of living
and little ambition to seek better;
l.