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Show OI K AMI IMMIIiltAllOX 1.1VY. Itlaacurli.ua aud nutewortby fact tbtt during the on hundred and nineteen yeara uf Amerloau Ilia hi a nation, leea than Iba last nli.otii.ii have wlinoiel Hie only real ellorl. toward the restriction of foreign Imiui-gratlou. Imiui-gratlou. K.rnifrly our etalniueu a ugbt In every war lo encourage the 0 uung of the aurplua population el otlirr ujiintrlua to our shores, anl the new arrivals w.ro welcomed Willi even uiBulli'slello 1 of boartlnrsa and gralllii.tu, Ah.ul fltuni years ago, however, the muitur of closing nut doora uullist I lit) treiueudou. I. tl.rx began to b agitated lu C'dngrt-ai n mi u .ru.ipecl of nice..-; two iiinu.rrin.i c .liai.ieratloiiB bt'lhg 11 guj upuu i.iih'u atleiillou. Oue w.ia lliat tbo n .un-, advautages aud irlvilegc ull.-red by Cumiubla were no more numerous numer-ous tbau o.ulj hi) utiliz d by our own peoplo enJ ,ul-Ii alio;, aa wem already here. The oilmr waa that there had been a grrai lal ing-tll In the inorsle aud Tuliu 1. the liumlgrtatt; wusrea: the La. v. 1 nomera were rortui rfy 111. n un.l wumm. ol liitelilgenni, vigorous In bauy and lu tb trim of life, and exerolaed au immense Influenu In tha development of the country, they later were followed by a leaa .tttrily Haas, atrt-d, Infirm, eomctlmes dehaefi, and not lufrcquently actually criminal, It at pearlng to b a general idea with niihy ol the Klltopeen government that ll was lu every way chcaier aud m .re ellectlv to dump these undesirable elements Into the United H'n'tis than to car for them at home, The flrat restrictive measure agalnat Improper Immigration wae th-rcf ro passed In lsvJ. it fixed .iiillllri,tl u. which should be poesrseej hy th uew-oomrrs, uew-oomrrs, placed a duly of 60 cents on eerii alien admitted, and sent back tu Ibelr batlv land aom six thousand aut of something over ten millions who tried lo gel Into the country. Three yean alterwarda another an-other law waa passed, Ilia alien 0 infract in-fract labor law, II made unlawful the aaalatlng or procuring th Immigration of any alien under contract to perform labor In Ihla country; and while It waa mora sweeping In Its previsions than the preceding preced-ing law, ll bad many loopholes, through wblch almost anybody might eoai vxeep. a few preachers. It waa amended lu l.li7 and IHiS, but waa atlll defeollve. Then o.rur, In th latter year, th fainoua Chines exclusion act, which, say what we may of ll, waa lu violation of all our treaties with China and wtuld bav ld to war with any leaa patient and suplua nation. In 1HH1 a law waa passed re-enacting the provisions of tbe act nf iha'i and also of Ihecontraot labor law, with lhnum- ratlon of oilier olas.es of persona to b excluded, and llh Improvements In th a Imlnlslrallv sections; and Ihsu cam tbe latest attempt at remedying th defect of all prevluus legislation, In thelew oMMM. It Is allll In usre. Hon, and whll auperior lo any of Ita predecessurt, It Is regarded as Inef. teotlv In accomplishing all tbat waa ho,d for It. Th quealloa la en that baa therefor there-for received attention from almost very Cungreea for thlrtoeu years pssl, end It Is atlll an laaue. Among tbe many other bits of wurs cut out for th Kllty-fourlh Congress, r.ow In seealou, this Is probably on of the leaat likely to eaoap attention and Ireat. menl. |
