The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1909-02-24
SENATOR GARYs SPEECH.
CLAIMS IMMIGRATION COMMITS
SION is USELESS EXPENSE.
Junior Senator From South Carolina
Says the Commission Has Spent
$SSS,O0O. Part of il Being Wasted
He Registers Protest, Against
Steamship Lines Dumping Europe's
Slum Population on America.


Steamship Lines Dumping Europe's
Slum Population on America.
Washington, Feb. 1S-Declaring
that the national immigration COM
mission has pent sass, 900 since it was
created two years ago, that it has on
Its pay roll one officer drawing $500
per annum, with an additional ex-
pense account of 5000 a month, al
though he has not been absent from
his employment Of teaching a single
aay since he was appointed by the
commission, and that many of the
complaints made as to the laxity of
the immigration laws are apparently
we'll founded, Senator Gary today
said, on the floor of the senate, that
a plan has recently been on foot to
dump on the shores Of the United
States 10000 people from the most
degraded slums of European coun-
tries.
Another expensive employe of the
commission, he declared, is Michael
Clayton. This man, according to the
Congressional Record of January 26,
a secret service agent, has been look
Ing into the smuggling of Oriental
coolies into the United States over
the Mexican border, when, as a mat
ter of fact, the same matter had been
fully investigated and reported upon
by special commission composed Of
r. M. Easley. j. w. jerks, j. B. Rey-
nolds and Murice Braun, appointed
by President Roosevelt in 1905.
Clayton is now merely raking over
the Goals and rehashing what these
officials have already done. His bill
for March, 1908, was $1.025. and was
made up of $40 per diem salary. IS
per diem hotel allowance, and over IS
per diem travelling expenses.
Senator Gary said that there might
be other cases Of similar nature,
about which he did not know, but
that he would protest against such
waste of the public funds.
He declared that the time was ripe
for something to be done to make the
steamship companies stop their prac-
tice Of landing thousands OF immi-
grants In this country when our bread
line is growing larger day by day;
when the list of unemployed is being
steadily increased. and when it is i'm
possible to find work for all our ma
tive-born American citizens.
Referring to rhe efforts of the Soutl:
to encourage immigration, Senator
Gary said: "I take occasion to SOY
just here. lest I be misunderstood
that I, in common with many othc.
Southerners. would welcome to our
midst home-seekers, whether they bo
of foreign or native birth, who from
choice have embraced our form Of
government, and wish to be part and
parcel of us, and will work with us
to build up the waste places and con-
tribute to a free and stable govern
ment. But 1t is better that our un-
cultivated lands should forever lie
fallow, and our water power go un-
harnessed to the sea, than that we
should be overrun by lot of aliens
from Southern Europe. who have
been brought here through the GU
pidity of steamship companies, and
who have not left behind them, and
who do not intend to forsake their
Black Hand and Malta methods. and
who contribute nothing worth having
to the common good.
Much is being said about the de.
velopment of the South's resources ir
connection with the alien labor agita'
ton. For myself, have but little pa
tience with such agitation. I do not
Gee the necessity for all this hot haste
to use up the country's treasure, anC
at the same time make an outcry oi
the conservation Of our natural re-
| sources. Our forests are almost gone
and our public domain is exhausted
The South has prospered marvelously
snd bids fair to make even more rap
id strides. This has been accomplish
ed without the aid of such immigra'
ton as that which now comes to Oul
principal ports. Without them oul
| white civilization has been maintain
ed, and I, for one, am willing to dea
| with the future without their aid"