The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1907-10-13

New York.-CaIl it hospitality, can
1t missions. call 1t patriotism. call IT
self-protection, or call it plain, ordin-
airy. unspecialized religion, but by
whatever name it is designated the
work of the Ellis island representa-
tives of the various religious bodies is
one of the most interesting phases of
contemporary Christianity.
1t is the church at r.a nations
gate, giving the clear evidence OF
kindly deeds that this is a Christian
land. To be the first to touch the life
of the incoming stranger, making him
aware, in this supreme hour of his ex-
perience. that religion is an active. ag-
greSsive and hospitable force in the
aliens land OF promise, is the newly
awakened and laudable ambition of or
ganized Christianity.
The news of this lies not in the nov
city of the missionary's presence at
Ellis island for that is no novelty.
The extraordinary aspect Of the case
is that just now all the large Christian
bodies of America are showing an
alert interest in the immigrant, and
are bringing their powerful forces TO
bear upon him, so that they are be-
coming one OF the most potent factors
in the immigration problem. The re-
cent report of Chief Powderly to the
secretary Of commerce and labor, |
pointing out what industrial opportuni- |
ties await the newcomers, and where |
has naturally provoked wide discus |
sion; yet what the churches propose, |
and have undertaken, is probably of |
far greater moment.
Crowding Out the Crooks.
Time was when the missionary at |
Ellis island had a hard job Of 1t, with |
all sorts of graft leagued against the |
unsophisticated incomers whom he
sought to serve. There were crooked |
inspectors and other crooked officials; |
graft in the immigrants restaurant, |
graft in the money changing, graft in |
the steamship and railroad agencies, |
graft in the boarding house runners, |
and worse than graft in the enterpris- |
ing efforts of the white slave mer
chants. Long before religion awoke to |
anything like an adequate conception |
of the opportunities presented at Ell /
lis island, the forces Of evil were reap |
ing a rich harvest there. The years |
during which these harpies, almost un- |
molested, plucked the stranger at the |
gate, do not make an attractive chap |
ter of American history.
Now there are two score mission |
aries at Ellis island, and the commits |
sioner OF immigration, Robert Watch |
orn, "the man at the gate" is himself /
an earnest Methodist, and in close |
sympathy with every effort TO serve |
the immigrants material or spiritual |
needs. He relies strongly upon this |
newly awakened religious conscious |
ness of America TO support him in his |
rigorous dealings with steamship and /
railway companies to compel them TO |
give the alien a square deal It has |
been the rule, rather than the excep- |
ton. until very lately, for these trans |
portatfon companies to treat immi- |
grants worse that they treat four
footed cattle. In an address to the Ell |
lis island missionaries one day Com !
missioner Watchorn gave them these
words of encouragement and admOni- |
ton:
''Your work, as missionaries, has al |
ways commended itself to me. I know |
of no fellow mortal who stands more |
in need OF such kindly ministratiOns
than one. who, having left his native
home, finds himself barred at the |
threshold of the country in which he
hopes to acquire a domicile. During
the period OF uncertainty, as to wheth-
er he is to be admitted or deported, he
certainly does stand in need of sym
pathetic aid. It is my purpose and my
desire-consistent as commissioner of
immigra tion-to see to ii that such |
consolation as you may bring shall
not be denied him: l shall, however |
insist that each one OF you will re-
spect the law and conform to the reg
ulations. The sworn officers of the
law must be the sole judges as TO who
shall enter the United States, and as
to those who may not enter: and their
judgment and their actions must not
be subjected to unofficial influences"
The Modern Good Samaritan.
The zeal of missionaries in behalf of
cases in which they have become spe-
cially interested doubtless evoked
those last words There was the Greek
priest. in his imposing robes and
ponderous pendant cross. TO whose
skirts chung a boy and girl; doubtless
he would do anything in his power to
save them from the terror of deporta-
ton And that cluster Of Irish peas
ants who were following TO the barge.
with beaming faces. a Roman Catholic
priest, had evidently been extricated
from some difficulty by him. Fifteen
minutes later 1 saw a Jewish rabbi
with q company of solemn and cadav-
erous men who might have been exiles
from some KishfneV, evidently he was
their protector, If not their deliverer.
Ellis island IS a Kaleidoscope of such
pictures Every immigrant is i'm need
Of the friendly word of assurance, if
nothing more. But the tragedies which
are daily enacted there give the warm
hearted missionary abundant opportu
nifty to be an angel of mercy. These
are pictures for masters brush.
Take that big-eyed, sweet-faced Swed
fish mother, whom I saw standing at
the entrance to the woman's apart
ment- Her children chung about her
dress. but her husband was not near.
Perhaps he bad been sent to the de-