The Daily Ardmoreite. [volume] (Ardmore, Okla.) 1893-current, 1910-10-21
FOUND A FRIEND
IN PRES. TAT 7
AT ELLIS ISLAND THE PRESl.
DENT INTERCEDED FOR iMMl.
GRANTS.
THE PRESIDENTS CONCLUSIONS
A Miner With Seven Children, Who
Knew the Executives Name and
Had 1.-TWO Strong Arms" Bdden
to Enter.

to Enter.
New York, oct. 20.-President
Taft had his first view today of
that wonderful piece of machinery
on Ellis Island, where the aliens
of many countries undergo their
first examination on the road to
American citizenship. He spent five
hours in the one place in the United
States where the rights of human
liberty temporarily are suspended
by executive action alone while the
tedious work of separating the mod
erately good immigrants from the
wholly bad goes on day after day.
In his investigation the president
sat with William Williams, immigra-
ton commissioner in number Of
appealed cases. Mr.. Taft proved a
lenient Judge, and II was indeed a
happy fate which brought nearly a
score OF rejected immigrants to
bar for final decision on the day
the presidents visit. There were
Slavs, Poles, Greeks and Italians.
One case was that OF George
Thornton 3S years Old, a coal min
er from Wales, with seven children.
Thorntons wife died six months ago
motherless children, ranging in age
from to 10 years, might become
public charges without mother $
care. Thornton, a brawny, sell-con-
fident Welshman, pleaded his own
case. Holding out his hands, he said:
Here are my two strong hands
| have $l35 in my pocket My sis
ter in Philadelphia will care for
my little ones and can support
them all"
who is the president of the
United States?" asked Commissioner
Williams.
William Howard Taft" Thorn
ton replied.
"Well,' said Mr.. Williams, point
ing to the smiling executive, this
is the president or the United
States right here and l think he
will let you in."
Mr.. Williams conjecture was cor
rect The president orderdi that
Thornton and his children be admit.
ted. They left for Pittsburg this
afternoon.
AS result of his studies and
observations today Mr.. Taft had
reached tonight definite ,onclu.
sion on three points:
l. He believes that strong ef-
fort should be made to distribute
the influx of foreigners and do away
with the present congestion in New
York.
,. He believes that heavier pen
dlAlNb NilONlu 10 CNtNNu vi lllt
steamship companies for infractions
of the immigration rules.
,. lie believed that all men i'm
migrants upon their arrival here
should be put through q thorough
examination as to the condition Of
families left behind in Europe One
OF the most difficult human prob
lens Of the immigration service has
been the separation of families, but
the president believes that the
problem can be solved by requiring
immigrants TO tell in advance wheth-
er or not families left behind are
eligible for admission under the I'M
migration laws.
One of the first cases brought be
fore the president on appeal today
was that of an Italian woman and
four children. The husband already
had arrived in this country. There
was question as to whether ne
could earn enough TO support his
family. The man declared he could
and the president took the same
view. The wife and children were
admitted.
Some aliens suffering from flatfoot
were fortunate in being brought
before the president He declared
that while flatfoot interfered with
a number of occupations, 1t was
possible for persons so afflicted to