Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1912-12-23

/
and attempted legislation in the United
States affords an interesting sidelight
upon our reception of the immigrant
from the beginning down to the present
time. Prior to 1885 immigration was
taken as a matter of course, a welcome
was given to every immigrant who came
and the only legislation that was enacted
was the law for the protection of steerage
passengers passed in 1919 and for the
gathering Of statistical data concerning
immigrants to America.
| But the great inpouring Of foreigners
many of whom were Catholics, after 1850
began to arouse an opposition TO lm!nl-
grafton on the part of some Protestants.
This opposition eliminated in the native
| American or know-nothing movement,
and for a while it seemed as If it might
| ACCOMPLISH a restriction Of immigration
An effort to make nativism natlonai
question was made, and although II
gained some little headway,, the feenne
against foreigners subsidized somewhat
during the forties. but the heavy IN
crease in immigrants just prior to 1850
again stirred up the anti-foreign sentI-
ment and this time 1t found expression
! in the know-nothing movement. 1t tried
! 10 capture the presidency in 1856, nom1-
mating Willard Fillmore as It's standard
bearer But ex-President Fillmore Jared
worse in 1886 than did Preside,i. TAFT IN
| 1912 for he carried only one state-Mary-
and. And it is probable that he carried
| that state as the wing nominee rather
than as the know-nothing nominee
In spite of the know-nothings, furtner
! legislation was enacted in 1871 ana 1919
/ throwing still further protection around
| the steerage immigrant, and when the
Observation-Disclosures bill was pending Con-
gress gave the right OF parucipatlon III
local affairs TO foreigners who had de-
nf hnN in 4.
ZenS.
| The federal government did not really
| assume control of immigration until 1SS2.
Put Under Government that time it
Only Thirty Years Ago. been re-
garded as a question for state jurlsdic-
| ton: But, as explained in preceding
article, in 1864 President Lincoln. deslf-
ing to keep up the necessary supply Oh
| labor. asked Congress to encourage the
| importation of contract labor Such a
law was promptly enacted. and was Kept
| on the statute books for four years, when
it was repealed
| President Grant first recommended. IN
| a special message to Congress, that I'M.
| migration should be put under national
| rather than STAGE control. But the states
continued to hold the subject as one With
in their jurisdiction until 1876, when the
| Supreme Court. in an important case de-
| clared that any state law proVldlhs LOT
| the compulsory inspection of passengers
| and detention of vessels OF foreign cOun-
| tries was restrictive of foreign commerce
| and therefore unconstitutional. The court
| then did an unusual thing for the ou-
preme Court. recommending that Con-
| gress take jurisdiction over these matters,
| setting forth that it could more appro-
| priately. and with more acceptance, eXer-
| else it than any other body known to our
| law" 1t further added that If Congress
| would take control of immigration II
would effectively and satisfactorily settle
Il serious matter which had long given
| rise to contest and complaint.
| Congress, six years later. acted upon
| the recommendations of the Supreme
! Court by passing a general immigration
| law This law imposed a head tax of 30
cents on each immigrant and this money
| was used at the port of collection for the
| enforcement of the immigration law and
| the care of immigrants after arrival. The
| law gave the Secretary of the Treasury
| jurisdiction over immigration matters,
| and authorized him to enter into con-
| tracts with such state officers as might
| be designated by the governor of any
| state to take charge of the local affairs
| of immigration within such states. The
law provided that foreign convicts Except
| those convicted of political offenses).
| lunatics, idiots, and persons likely to be-
| come public charges, should not be per-
mitted to land
The law OF 1882. farming out to the
states the control of immigration, failed