Wauwatosa news. [volume] (Wauwatosa, Wis.) 1900-1948, 1914-06-12
BURNETT IMMIGRATION BILL
HAS HARD TIME GETTING
THROUGH SENATE.
SENTIMENT AIDS POLITICS
secret But Persistent Opposition to
Clause Which Provides for the Ex-
clusIon of All Detectives
From Other Lands.
sy GEORGE CLINTON.


grafton restriction bill introduced by
Representative Burnett of Alabama
and which passed the house some
time ago by a big majority. Call the
obstacles bunkers, pits and hazards as
you will, they all come under the one
name Of politics. The senators APP
parently want to pass this measure,
but it is said they are timid about it
because of the coming elections.
II this restriction bill is not given
the senate's sanction at this session,
a good many Washington politicians
say the votes gained in the country
because of inaction on the bill will
be Offset by the votes lost for the
same reason. 1t is rather a hard
thing to say perhaps that senators
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.
So much has been written about
the literacy test, which is 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 i'm
portant and which, like the literacy
provision, have brought to it support
or opposition as mems opinions vary.
Oppose inflated Immigration.
The senate has just received a re-
port from the committee on immigra-
ton of the American Genetic associa-
ton containing recommendations for
legislation to cut down the number
OF immigrants who yearly come into
the United States The signers of the
report are Alexander E. Canoe of the
Massachusetts Agricultural college,
Irving Fisher of Yale university, Pres
colt F. Hall Of Boston, and Robert De
G. Ward of Harvard university. The
signers analysed the causes of In
nated immigration and gave scientific
authority to support their conclusions.
The senate is told in this report
that the numbers of insane and men
tally defective aliens in the United
States continue to increase It is af
f1rmed that the number OF foreign
born insane in the hospitals of New
York City increased In two years 13
e-10 per cent. DR.. E. K Sprague Of
She United States public health serv-
ice Is quoted as saving that probably
only per cent. of the mentally de-
2ective aliens arriving in the United
States have been detected. 1t is
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 men
tally defective aliens.
Much Hidden Antagonlsm.
Curiously enough there is antago-
nism which shows itself in subtle ways
to the provision of this bill which
would make 1t virtually impossible for
defective 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 OPP,
position is 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 is said:
No one who is not acquainted
with existing conditions can possibly
realize how strong, how steady and
how effective is the pull" which is
exerted by the families and the
friends of aliens who by the laws of
the United States ought clearly to
be debarred, to have those aliens
landed. Steamship companies; the
societies to which the aliens rela-
tives belong; sentimental, but woe
fully misguided 'philanthropists', and
senators and representatives who are
trying to please their foreign born
constituents - all these interests
unite to bring pressure to bear upon
the immigration officials to whom ap-
peals are referred. :. s. Those who
want our incoming aliens to be sane
and sound and fit, ought to stand be-
hind every honest immigration official
who does his duty we'll; and ought
to see to it that there is no relaxation
IN the enforcement of our laws to
the detriment of the race
About Antitrust Bills.
Is President Wilson to win his
fight in the senate for antitrust
legislation? There is every evil
dence at this writing that the meas
ure will go through the house of rep
resentatives. There is temperance
here of predictions that the admins
tration may experience trouble in get
ting these measures through the SEN
ate, but judging by the record of ac-
complement In the past, it seems
likely that the Democrats win stand
together and put the measures through
and send them to the White House
for signature.
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