Atlanta tri-weekly journal. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1920-19??, 1921-05-03
Immigration to United States

The United States congress is wrest'
| ling with this question right now
A great many people are honestly
impressed with the feeling that we
have about all the people in our coun'
| try that we should undertake to pro-
vide for. Another class are pro.
| foundry convinced that we shoulc
continue to offer a refuge from
tyrants and over-crowded sections.
These two opinions are now being
discussed.
Which side do you favor. dear
| country home readers? We had an
| immigration commission appointed in
1907, to go abroad and give careful
study to these particular questions.
Among other things they gave out
the following recommendation: I'm
the judgment of the commission, as
we'll as of most other enlightened
| citizens, the United States should re-
haven of refuge for the oppressed,
whether such oppression is religious
or political.
ANY restrictive measure should
contain a provision making an eXcep-
ton of such cases. The charity
ought not to close our doors against
those whom the common opinion of
the world would consider the subjects
of oppression"
An amendment was proposed to
our present admission law which
reads as follows: provided that
nothing in this act shall exclude, il
otherwise admissible, persons con-
victed or who admit the commission
of, or who teach or advocate the COM
mission of offenses, purely political"
In the discussion on April ~, Hon:
BouFke Cochran, of New York, used
the following words: THE gentleman
(Mr. Baker of California;, must for
get the memorable occasion in Eng
land when a writ of habeas corpus
was issued for the body of Napoleon
Bonepart then aboard an Eng
lish war vessel on which he had
made himself a voluntary prisoner.
The authority to issue the writ, that
is to say, the right to issue it, by the
court of the kings bench was never
questioned. The admiral took another
and more effective way OF evadlng
it. He kept his boat moving so that
the marshal from the kings bench
could not serve the process.
This amendment proposes that II
person seeking admission to this
country, is restrained from entering
it and makes the claim that he is a
political refugee, it. shall be compe-
tent to have that claim determined
upon a writ of haveas corpus. When
man comes into this country e
Immediately passes into the hands
of the immigration commissioner. He
is as much in the. country while
aboard a ship in our waters as when
he has landed
An Ohio man, rose up in reply.
Said he. 81 have all Sympat thy, that
any man can have for foreigners. If
this government had been too dras-
tic sixty years ago [ would not be
here myself and [ want no action of
mine to work a hardship uporf any
| foreigner of any race or religious
connection unless by extending to
shall thereby mar or handicap the
future for my children in this cCNln-
try. In other words, the interest of
| Poland, Russia or Austria-Hungary
! or Ireland or any other country /
place second to the interests of the
United States. L believe that the
American people of today want a
limit placed on Immigration and !
believe it is for the best interests of
| this country to now limit immigra-
| ton for time until we arrive at a
| conclusion in this social fabric OF
ours, where we can transform the
| foreigner into an American with
American ideals and make him sup
porter of our government, rather
than a drag on it's progress"
A Maryland member then rose up
| to say: "They tell us we need the
| immigrant to manufacture clothing
hats and shoes of the country. Others
say we need them on our farms
to produce the food for our people;
others tell us. we need the foreigners
to do the work, in the great indus
tries of our land; still others say
they are necessary to do the house
work in the homes of our country.
For heavens sake gentlemen, what