The L'Anse sentinel. (L'Anse, L.S., Mich.) 18??-current, 1914-06-20
ITS WAY BLOCKED
BURNETT IMMIGRATION BILL
HAS HARD TIME GETTING
THROUGH SENATE.
SENTIMENT AIDS POLITICS
escrst But Persistent oppositlon 70
clauss Which Provides for the En-
cluslon of All Detectives
From Other Lands.

cluslon of All Detectives
From Other Lands.
BY GEORGE CLINTON.
Washington.-There are bunksrs,
pits and hazards In the senate In the
way Of the safe passage Of the immi-
grafton restriction bill introduced By
Representative Burnett Of Alabama
and which passed the house some
time ago by big majority. Call the
obstacles hunkers. pits and hazards -
you win. they all come under tho one
name Of Dolitics. The senators ap-
parently want to pass this measure.
but u h said they are timid about Il
because Of the coming elections.
II this restriction bill II not given
Tho senate's sanction at this session.
. good many Washington politicians
say the votes gained in the country
because of inaction on the bill win
be Offset by the votes lost for the
same reason. II is rather q hard
thing to say perhaps that senator's
are moved by political considerations.
but seemingly some Of them are and
perhaps they are now weighing the
political "fors" and "againsts" Of the
proposition before making up their
minds whether or not to send the bill
through before adjournment.
30 much has been written about
the literacy test. which IL embodied IN
the Burnett bill and which has been
productive Of SO much antagonism.
that sight has been lost Of some other
features of the measure which are Inn
portant and which. like the literacy
provision. have brought to It support
or opposition a. mems opinions vary;
Oppose Inflated immigration.
The senate has Just received . 70
port from the committee on immigrar
ton Of the American Genetic associa-
ton containing Recommendation for
legislation to cut down the number
Of immigrants who yearly come into
the United States. The signers Of the
report are Alexander q. Canoe Of the
Massachusetts Agricultural college.
Irving Fisher Of Yale university. Pres
colt r. Hall of Boston. and Robert Do
G. Ward Of Harvard university. Tho
signers analysed the causes Of In
Hated immigration and gave scientific
authority to support their conclusions.
The senate IL told In this report
that the numbers of insane and mem
tally defective aliens In the United
States continue to increase. II II af.
firmed that the number OF foreign
born insane In the hospitals Of New
York City increased In two years IL
Flo per cent. DR.. d. X. Sprague -of
the United States public health serv-
ice IL quoted as saving that probably
only per cent. of the mentally de-
fective aliens arriving in the United
States have been detected. II n
charged that conditions are becoming
worse rapidly and that the results are
more lamentable because the numbers
Of mentally defective aliens in this
country are In no way segregated and
are free to reproduce their kind.
The Burnett bill contains drastic
provisions intended to keep out mem
tally detective aliens.
Much Hidden Antagonlsm.
Curiously enough there IL antago-
nism which shows itself In subtle ways
to the provision Of this bill which
would make 1t virtually impossible for
detective aliens to come into the
United States. No man nor body of
men apparently has cared to appear
openly in opposition to the effort to
strengthen the law shutting out de-
fectives. but It is known that the op-
position IL making itself felt in many
darkened ways.
In the report to which reference has
been made and which has been given
to the senate this 10 said:
mo one who 10 not acquainted
with existing conditions can possibly
realize how strong. how steady and
how effective ID the pull which n
sxerted by the families and the
friends Of aliens who by the laws Of
the United States ought clearly to
b debarred. to have those aliens
landed. Steamship companies; the
societies to which the aliens rela-
dives belong; sentimental. but woe
fuIly misguided 'philanthropists', and
senator's and Representatives who are
trying to please their foreign born
constituents - all these interests
unite to bring pressure to bear upon
the immigration onlcials to whom ap-
psals are referred. Those who