The Rock Island Argus and daily union. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1920-1923, 1920-11-02
Frederic Haskin's Lettel'

sov4na oussupsnAsAs q ~ AsgaS,.

A new immigration I'm
doubtedly to be a part Il IN y.
OF congress. The houss
on immigration Las bess ~.
hearings out on the pea.
and also In Washington. ~
bills have been drafted. ,,a ~
them by johnson Of Califo,.s
chairman OF the Comma =
doubtless form the basis a. =,
ton which the committes ~
before congress. ~
Importance Of ResVl,a,..
Il Is obvious. Of course, M,
ing is more important to M
try than the way in which ~.
ton is being regulated. n. ~
eastern half of the UnitsS
is simply a complex man y !.
humanity which We have e.
import from abroad. W. -
republic which is based ~.
assumption that the indiyidssi 3
er has intelligence and sooS y.
ment. The character az ~.
ton is therefore everything
admit hordes of aliens vAo Il.
not the intelligence to IN, \.
idea Of democracy, and il " -.
to teach them even the lans.ss. !!
their new country, We can s,s.s
hope for that intelligent M, !.
public opinion which IL ths ~
hope of success for a demoet.s'
government.
Undoubtedly during the A. /,
or Is years Of this century :. y =
admit a horde Of aliens vhs ~
OF a low type. both racially ~
culturally, and We did allow tAas \
collect in great masses Of updin,.,
foreignness. speaking foreim i,
guages. reading foreign papera. h.
lowing customs.
The war checked this flow n h.
digestible humanity. Now n i.
started again. What are VI ~,
to do about It!
The trouble is that our immin,,
ton legislation. like that On q
many other subjects. 10 based M
on scientific study OF the fscta n,
on a compromise between yarion,
conflicting interests. perhap, d,
intelligent way to solve the pruA
lem would be to appoint a comm,
sion Of the higest scientific chan,
ter to study the question and finn,
legislation. We had an elabonh
congressional investigation Of Ii
subject once, and it reached ID
astonishing conclusion that Il d
not matter much what type Of d,
was admitted. because as soon
he began to breathe the free q
puissant air of America. he becau
an American. even the shape Of N
head changing!
Forces Involved.
Legislation based on such eu
illusions as that will not help mw
Neither do the conclusions b,
much to do with the legislatic
Labor wants immigration restric
| ed. because immigration mssl
cheap competition for labor. II
eastern manufacturing intere,
want immigration unrestricted
the same reason. The far VI
wants immigration restricted
any way that will keep the orb
tails out, and the west in general
in favor Of keeping America !
Americans. These various fort
will fight it out again as they ha
before. In the house, labor and !
| west have enough influence
frame legislation somewhat
! strictive, but in the senate big b.
ness holds the club. and the hos
bill is very likely to be "liberaliie
At present the major problem OF
migration is largely obscufed
the anarchist scare. The primer
bills now before the committee
! taken up largely with o.
and declarations, designed to m'
the intending immigrant swear
the bile and the bones Of his
cestors that he does not intend
put a bomb under the attorney 8
eral or to organize revolut
The fact that a man imbued Y
any such sinister purpose wo
probably not hesitate to peri
himself seems not to have occur
to the honorable commltteen
The anarchist is only one In 0
bred thousand. and the well knt
needle in the haystack is not q
elusive than he. But the congr'
men at present are engaged AIN
exclusively in frenzied nun!
that needle. while the great ana
portant task Of asserting the nuI
imports. and choosing from u
the best racial and cultured
ments is almost wholly neglecte'