The Hawaiian gazette. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1865-1918, 1913-03-04
CLARK OPPOSES
IMMIGRATION OF FIu|PINOS

Socialists heard DR.. Victor Clark eX-
plain last night the meaning of the inn
migration measures before the present
congress and their effect upon immigra-
tion TO Hawaii. One or two uncon-
vinced ones charged that the whole
scheme of immigration permitting Eu-
ropeans to enter the United States was
merely to create a confusion of tongues
and peoples and prevent organizations.
One member stated, after hearing Doc
tor Clark read from a work by hover.
ich, the New York socialist leader, who
favored unlimited immigration, that so.
cialists, after all, were not opposed to
immigrants from any one country be-
cause they recognized no countries.
Doctor Clark stated unqualifiedly that
he was opposed to the present Asiatic
immigration into Hawaii, and referred
particularly to the large influx of Fill
pinos, asserting it is unfortunate for
the Islands that it should continue.
Doctor Clark traced the history of
immigration to the United States from
the time of the landing of the Pilgrims
to the present day. He told how Ben.
.iamin Franklin at one time got uneasy
over the influx of poor Germans into
Pennsylvania, believing it would be
harmful to the State. In the early New
England days more people went back to
England than came to it, but this was
balanced by the birth rate. Even to.
day there are often more people leav'
ing New York and returning to Italy
than coming from Italy, depending on
the working season in the United
States. He stated that the departure
of immigrants from Hawaii to the
Coast was strangely dependent on the
influx of Japanese and Filipinos. In
the years when the Asiatic immigration
was larger, the departure of Portuguese
and Spanish to the Coast was CORE
spondingly large When Asiatic immi
grafton was small, the departures were
also small.
Beginning of Restriction.
New York was the first to commence
to urge a restriction of immigration
largely because of the paupers who
we're coming into the port of New York
After the Civil War the immigration
question again became acute and laws
were passed in 1872 and 1875 provid
ing for the examination of immigrants
to keep out paupers and criminals II
was 1883 before laws were passed to
protect the American laborers. The
Chinese Exclusion Act came in 1882
and in 1897 the present immigration
law went into effect. The literacy test
in n bill during Cleveland IS first admin
istrution was vetoed by that executive
When the bill of 1897 was up, the com
mission reported that the immigration
as then conducted tended to reduce the
wages Of the American laborers. The
majority believed that all male immi'
grants should be able TO read and write
The minority wanted to keep out all
single men. Doctor Clark expressed
the opinion that it was wise to favor
the immigration of men with families.
Arguments, he said, that were made
against the literacv test were that II
might exclude people Of industry and
character, really desirable as citizens,
The peasants, whom the literacy test
affected, were agricultural laborers,
such as were needed, and would make
better citizens than many immigrants
from the cities who could read and
write Some inspectors stated that
some Of the worst Immigrants were
those who could read and write and
who came from the cities.
Wilson'S Supposed Policy.
Tho speaker said il WIS generally be.
ueved lint President elect Wilson Is
nu immigration reErictionist, This is
said 10 be- found 10 his published
works expressing himself ns opposed
10 ihc immigration from Southern
Eufuua, particularly meaning Italy