The Meridian times. (Meridian, Idaho) 1909-1938, 1913-01-24
READ OR KEEP OUT
THAT is WHAT UNCLE SAM IS
LIKELY SOON TO SAY TO
IMMIGRANTS.
BILL NOW IS IN CONFERENCE
rresldent Tart Probably WIN Sign
MEASURE That Is Designed to Ex-
cIuoe People From Some Parts
Of Southern Europe.
BY GEORGE CLINTON.


OF the United States passed an immi-
grafton restriction bill and sent 1t
over to the house for approval. The
representatives changed the form of
tne Dill, passed 1t and sent it to con-
ference. 1t is believed that an agree
ment upon the provisions of the meas
ure WIFI be reached by the two houses
ana tnat soon congress will pass it
ana send 1t to the president for his
signature or his veto.
1t Is understood that Mr.. Taft does
not entirely agree with the provi-
slons OF the measure in the form in
Wnlch 1t seems certain it finally will
De approved by congress The law
VIII contain provision shutting out
from America all immigrants above
the age of sixteen years who are un-
able to read, unless it can be proved
mat the aliens are fleeing from reli-
gious persecution.
while the president is said not to
De entirely sympathetic with the bill
II is believed that in the near future
immigrants will be subjected to the
reading test before they can admitted
TO this country. The test will be in
the language which the immigrants
speak When the measure passed the
senate there was five to one vote in
favor of provision which would have
subjected immigrants to both reading
and writing tests. The house knock
ed out the writing provision and sent
the bill To conference
Taft Will Sign It.
II is the opinion of congressman
who have made inquiry into the matter
that the change of the form OF the IL
literacy test will not make much diff
ference. 1t is held that about SO out
of every 100 persons who know how
to read also know how to write. 1t
seems finally to be assured that re-
strictive immigration measure will
find place on the statute books in
the immediate future, for while Presi-
dent Taft is known to have some
doubts in the matter, the general be-
lief is that he will sign the bill
There is no use to try to gloss over
the real reason why congress was will
new immigration law. The desire is
to keep out immigrants whom ex-
perience, 1t is said, has proved to be
undesirable as class, and this means
the exclusion of certain of the south
Italians. certain of the Jews, certain
of the Poles, and men and women of
other races among whom the per-
oanfaoa nF iIIitaraop 10 hioh
The steamship companies always
have been against "anti-immigration
laws" The reason for their opposi
ton needs no explanation. Under the
proposed law rejected aliens will be
sent back to their native lands at the
expense of the steamship companies
which bring them over. The supposi-
ton is that the companies will on
their own behalf see to it that no one
is allowed on board who cannot go
through unstumblingly a paragraph Of
his school reader.
For years attempts have been made
in congress to get through an immi-
grafton bill with an illiteracy test
clause as one Of its provisions. In
1897, when Grover Cleveland was
president, a bill very much like the
present one, or like the form in which
1t has been sanctioned by the house.
was passed by congress. Mr.. Cleveland
vetoed it and it has been said that aft
erward he regretted his act. There
always has been strong opposition to
the passage of measure which would
exclude immigrants because of ina
bility to read and write.
Question Really Of Geography.
If congress could have done 1t, It
would have exempted from the illit-
eracy test immigrants from the north
ern European countries, but of course
it could not do this. The issue, so
far as geographical restriction" is
concerned, always has been avoided,
but when a thing is perfectly plain,
denials and evasion are of no service.
Certain kinds of immigrants are not
wanted, and it is supposed that the IL
literacy clause will keep them out.
The opposition to the illiteracy
test has come during the years not
only from naturalized Americans who
90 NOT Ike " SCS bACli
kindred debarred from admission, but
from men and women of prominence
in the work OF the world and who are
descended from immigrants" who
came to this country in the seven
teenth and eighteenth centuries.
The provision of the bill which al
lows illiterate immigrants to enter
the country II they are trying to get
away from religious persecution opens
up the question of proof. In certain
countries the Jews are prosecuted of
and on. Will an immigrant be allowed
to enter because he is in fear of per
secution, a fear based on past per-
In other words, must the
be open and active and
must a man be actually fleeing from it
in order to be admitted to this country
without being asked to read his way
into it?
Wilson Silent on Cabinet.