Daily press. [volume] (Newport News, Va.) 1896-current, 1907-10-15
BoRaparte's Ruling Prevents Influx
Of Better Glass Of Immigrants.
CAN'T GIVE ASSURANCE OF WORK
Southern States, In Need OF Labor,
Had BuIdcd High Hopes on Pre-
vi0us Decision of the Attorney
General-Review of the Situation.

WASHINGTON, Oct. 14.-Attorney
General Bonaparte, by his decision III
inc Louisiana immigration case, has
put crimp in the hopes and the
efforts of those Southern States that
had set out to spend some money get
ting the best kind of immigrants that
Europe might produce.
The Louisiana decision, by which
Mr.. Bonapartc bolds that state can
mot assure an immigrant that he will
receive work, is all the more blow
because acting upon the South Caro-
lima decision by the same attorney
general that State may advance the
passange money of an immigrant tC
get him to settle within such n state
great hopes had bceep built that the
promised liberalizing of the govern
ments immigration policy had really
set in.
In the Louisiana decision Attorney
General Bonaparte does not make q
distinction between an Individual or a
corporation advancing an immigrant
money and assuring him work (Which
could mean nothing else but an i'm
portation of alien labor TO work To-
such an individual o. corporation and
Il State advancing the passage money
and assuring the immigrant work
among the people at large and for the
benefit Of all in the open market TO
labor. The facts, as given to the
public in Mr.. BonGpartcs decision do
not say that the Louisiana immigrant
had been promised any specific work
nor that he was being assured work
for the sovereign State Itself 1t dc
lnnn1 fhnt l, n .,,iv
assurance that employment as farm
lalorer would be secured for him, and
he was To return to the state the
money advanced for his passage. No
employer was selected for him, but
he was left free to work for whom
he pleased lyon this showing OF
facts it was that Attorney General
Bonaparte ruled as follows:
Garcia's Promise Against the Law
The assurance given to Garcia by
the States agents constitutes. in my
opinion promises of employment with
in the inhibition OF the statute While
it is provided that aliens coming to
this country in consequence of adver
tisements by State of its induce
ments to immigration shall not be
treated as coming under promise o.
employment, there is no exception in
favor of n STATE in reference to spe-
cific promises of employment to indi
vidual Immigrants such as were held
ont TO Garcia by the representatives
of the state board"
Whether n state may advertise gen
orally that immigrants will be secured
work on their arrival in the State. bu.
may not pick them because OF their
moral character and physical fitness
or whether n State may hold out such
inducements to "A select party as a
whole. but not to individual immi.
grants are questions that such States
as have appropriated money to in
ducs the immigration OF desirable, in
stead of undesirable citizens, will
want settled before venturing into
this uncertain game.
Means More Undesirable Citizens.
The contention of the States that
have gone into the work Of getting
the best classes of Immigrants is that
If they are not permitted to select
the kind of future citizens by assur.
ing them that the State will give
n helping hand on their arrival here
and secure them work of some kind
in the open market. they might as
well turn over the job to conscience
less steamship companies and LEI
these concerns pour into the coinmu.
mites the hordes from Sicily or else.
where without regard for the people
upon whom they would unload them
In view of the fundamental differ
cnce between State holding out in.
dncements to immigrants in the in
terest Of the people at large (and not
in the interest of any individual con
Germ or enterprise) and of an individ-
uni or n private concern doing this
thing in its own individual interest. il
is expected here that Louisiana will
appeal the case to the courts for n
judicial termination of the question