Rocky Ford enterprise., 1916-12-29
BURNETT IMMIGRATION BILL
HAS HARD TIME GETTING
THROUGH SENATE.
SENTIMENT AIDS POLITICS
Secret But Persistent Opposition to
Clause Which Provides for the Ex-
ciusion of All Detectives
From Other Lands.
BY GEORGE CLINTON.

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 a big majority. Call the
obstacles bunkers, pits and hazards as
you will. they all come under the one
name of politics. The senators ap-
but It is said they. are timid about 1t
because of the coming elections.
If 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 1t 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-
tion 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
c. Ward of Harvard university. The
signers analysed the causes of in
ifiated immigration and gave scientific
authority to support their conclusions.
The senate is told In this report
that the numbers of insane and mem
tally defective aliens in the United
States continue to increase. 1t is af-
firmed that the number of foreign
born insane in the hospitals of New
York City increased in two years 13
2-10 per cent. Dr. f. K Sprague of
the United States public health serv-
ice is quoted as saving that probably
only per cent. of the mentally de-
fective aliens arriving in the United
States have been detected. 1t is
charged that conditions are becoming
worse rapidly and that the results arc
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 Antaeonlsm.
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 1t is known that the op-
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. 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 1t 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 a temperance
1,f haf "a ah
tration may experience trouble in get
ting these measures through the SEN
ate, but judging by the record of ac-
complishment in the past, it seems
likely that the Democrats will stand