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Show FOREIGN IMPUDENCE. The European powers appear to think that thoy have a perfect right to interfere in-terfere in the operations of our Government, Gov-ernment, by waj' of protest, and to indicate in-dicate their desires as to what we should do, whenever they see fit. Tho example of the British government in protesting against tho Panama canal law seems to be infectious, and the .backing which that British protest received re-ceived among our own people has evidently evi-dently encouraged the European na-tious na-tious to belicvo that all they have to do whenever they do not like anything proposod by our legislation, is to enter a protest against it in thoir own interest. in-terest. But wh' do those governments protest? Ts it because they want to rid themselves of paupors and criminals, crimi-nals, by sending thorn to us-? Accordingly, a number of the European Euro-pean nations are uow protesting against our efforts to restrict the immigration of unfit persons into the United States, and to see that the transportation conditions con-ditions on vesBels that bring those im-migrauts im-migrauts aro such as commend themselves them-selves to the judgment of our immigration immi-gration officials; for it is a clonr case that immigrants brought to this coun-try coun-try under unfit conditions and by ships that do not tako proper care of those immigrants as to sanitation, health, and general physical condition ought not to bo allowed to land at any of our ports. Congress has passed an immigration law which provides, among other things, tKat thorc' shall bo inspectors and matrons ma-trons upon the ships to report to the immigration officers, whore those ships dock in this country, tho conditions of the voyage and the treatment of tho proposed immigrants. This is resented by some of tho European governments with a nrospoct that it wiU bo resented by all, as interfering with .their sovereignty sov-ereignty in thoir ships on the high seas. Germany, Tfaly, and the Netherlands i havo already lodged their protest with the President, with a view of influencing influ-encing him to veto the bill. It iu expected ex-pected that Austria, France, and Great Britain will join in the protest. It is to bo hoped, however, that President Taft will rive no consideration considera-tion to these protests, for they aro sheer impertinence. Tho United. States has a perfect right to sea that porsons proposing to land in this country as immigrants arc fit nofc only in themselves, them-selves, but through the conditions of tho transatlantic voyage, to land and mingle with our population. Such precautions pre-cautions aa Congress soos fit to enact with regard to this matter aro clearly within Us province, and as the President Presi-dent says, it should tako a vp.ry weighty argutnout to inflnonco him to voto a bill merely on the merits of that bill; for it is to bo supposed, and as a matter of fact it is tho case, that Congress in enacting the measure has considered all phases- of tho subject- Tho bill presumably carries the restriction re-striction that vessels which do not admit the presence of Ihe inspector and matron provided in U. hall not Lo al'omd o d'schnrgi their pavf-cn gcr in our ports. If tho bill does not. carry this provision it should bo called back and that provision should bo inserted; in-serted; for such governments as- wish to stand on their dignity and resent tho prosenco of an inspector and matron ma-tron from tho United States to make report to our immigration oflioiala a? to the conditions of the voyage, have no right to carry proposod. immigrants to our shores; and .Congress would bo fully justified in prohibiting the landing land-ing from such vessels of anj' proposed immigrants. We trust that this wi.ll bo the answer an-swer of Congress and tho President to tho impertinent protests eutored by the European powers on this point. |