The Irish standard., 1914-02-21

especially Disseminated against by
the Burnett Bill lower the moral
standard OF our country. Still here
are figures that tell another story.
Out of every 10000 immigrants
representing five of the so-called de.
sirable nationalities admitted, ALA
persons were deported for prostitution
during the years 1908, 1909 and 1910.
In these years oily 80 persons out of
every 10000 Jewish immigrants and
so persons out of every 10000 south.
ern Italians were deported for the
same reason. Still the Jew and south.
ern Italians are called undesirable
immigrants and said to lower the mo-
rality of the country. Aliens are now
barred for mental, moral and physi.
cal deficiencies; feeble mindedness,
moral degeneracy and incurable and
contagious diseases. This is as it
should be. The figures I will give
show how few of these undesirable"
aliens the present restrictions keep
out. For every 10000 immigrants of
the same five desirable nations who
applied for admission, 176 persons
were barred by the present restric.
tions. For every 10000 Hebrews who
sought admission only 9.4 persons and
for every 10000 southern Italians, on.
~ AS persons were excluded by the
same restrictions. Now we probably
realize why some are so anxious to
place further restrictions and bars
for the Jew and the Italian. Those
now i'll force scarcely effect him. And
what is the new test that lie must
pass before he can come in? He must
prove himself able to read and write.
The alien who comes to our doors
Is turned back He has sound arms.
fstrong heart and clear head. But he
must go back. He can not read n
few words. We don't want him. If
he cant read and write because he
neglected to use the opportunities to
learn In his native land and he DOS.
sessed the means to enjoy their use.
yes, then, bar HIM. But if his father.
land never gave him an opportunity
you dare not bar him without tram.
pling on every principle of Justice and
right on which our institutions are
founded, and on which they were
nourished. Let the United States not
impose additional hardships on the in.
nocent immigrant who never had an
opportunity to do what she asks, but
let 1T like powerful nation compel
these countries to educate their chill
dren. If she is bound to act in the
matter. that is the only fair path
open to her.
They say the people of these ma.
tlons are not able to assimilate. Thew
talk about the melting pot that turns
out the average American citizen.
do not believe in the melting pot. Ev.
cry nation has it's glorious pages in
history, its noble characteristics. Why
should these be forgotten. Let the
immigrant cling to the good of his
fathers and take to himself in add.
ton everything noble in American
ideals.
1T is not the immigrant who fails.
More frequently it is his child. Is
the immigrant to blame? Are not the
streets in which we make him rear his
child, the conditions we surround him
with responsible? Let our churches.
our schools, our social institutions
spread their work and therein lies the
remedy of the evil.
ITO quiet opposition, to make pre-.
tense at preserving American ideals,
they have inserted in the bill clause
that the literacy test shall not hold
/. against those immigrants fleeing per.
l. secution. This is only claptrap to
p avert criticism. Only the secretary
!. of labor can suspend the measure,
q How is the poor immigrant to get the
o ears of the secretary? How do we
v know who will be secretary in the
>, future?
n THE enforcement of a law is its
" most important phase How is the
h literacy test to be applied? With the
same care and justice that we some
,. times now test the sanity of our i'm
!, migrants?
4 These instances will show you
n what injustice creeps in the examina.
i, tion to pick out the feeble minded.
y AN examiner asked an immigrant:
IL Does God speak to you personally? /?
q. The man answered: I am not worth,
ID that God should speak to me- TIL,
y man was reported as feeble minded
"One immigrant was asked: III
n. Continued on Page ~