The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1907-03-19
THAT ACI.

IH12c. III
cd the southern senators to permit III
noeeape Of the bill amending the inml
o.otion laws. He it was who assured
tbam that there was nothing III tl'
hill, which would affect the rights D
Tho states as they now exist in the
matter of securing Immigration. VI
his assurance to his effect many SEMI
+orc from southern states voted toi
The bill. Senator Bacon was n OIL the
few who was not deceived. He opposed
the bill to the last, ~contendlnS tha' II
would hamper the plans OF the SCUM
ern states for securing picked lhln'i-
grants through their immigration
bureaus.
The opiniOn on the bill recently CIV
en- bv Attorney General BonapdIte
shows that Senator Bacon was correct
and that the others were deceived by
Senator Lodge. Under the act as con-
strucd by the attorney general states
cannot paw for the transportation of
immigrants after the act goes into cf-
ect-July list, next.
The contention of the advocates OF
the bill was that its sole purpose anu
effect was to regulate immigration or
Japanese to the Pacific coast. The
president, we all know, was greatly con
cerned about the matter and very allX-
ious for congress to take action on it.
While we do not believe he would have
Intentionally deceived the southern
senators. we hardly think he would
have let the interests of their section
stand in the way of accomplishing his
purpose.
The senators from the south could
have defeated the bill by the same
methods that the ship subsidy bill was
defeated in the last days Of the session,
and they would have adopted the same
measures il opposition had they not
been assured by this Massachusetts
senator and spokesman in the senate
of the president that the southern
states would not be affected.
Some h are uneasy about the Still
alton are trying to find encouragement
in the suggestion that, as such assur-
anee came from the presidents recoS-
nized representative in the senate, Mr..
Roosevelt will exercise all the power
he has in getting a construction OF the
statute as favorable as possible to the
southern states. But it must be remeEl-
bered, however, that the senator who
was most interested in the passage OF
the bill is from the state of Massachi-
sets, the center of opposition to the
development of Gotten manufacturing
in The south. We are surprised that
this fact did not put u senators on
their guard and cause them to oppose
the measure unless more thoroughly
understood by them.
The construction of the act is to be
the subject of still further conference
of the president with the attorney gem
eral and other officials and it may be
that Mr.. Bonaparte will SO modify his
first opinion as to let the states pro-
coed as intended under their immlSrd-
ton bureaus. We believe the president
would be glad if such a curse could
be adopted, now that he has the law
applicable t o japanese immigration he
so greatly desired.
All is not lost, however, ever should
the first opinion of the attorney geuer-
al be adhered to. The states could.
even then, continue to pay the pensc
of immigrants landing prior TO July LIST,
and after that could have agents in
Europe for the purpose of advertising
the advantages offered to intending
emigrants and in this and other ways
induce the class we want to come to
our section of the country. The pass
age of the act does not by any means
put a stop to the states work through
their bureaus of immigration, though
it may greatly hamper it.
The News and Observers Washing
ton correspondent states that Senator
Overman had a conference with the
president on Wednesday at which he
seemed to interest Mr.. Roosevelt very
much. Mr.. Overman stated that Just
as the flibuster was about to begin