| Show TO RESTRICT immigration our statesmen and our press are occasionally casio casion nally hIly in sore straits as to how bow to maintain the national character of being the land of the free the home of the brave and the asylum of the oppressed of all nations and yet restrict immigration so that we can practically select those whom we propose to admit into the national family circle when senator evarts evart was secretary of state he proposed to undo the gordian knot by cutting it there should be no futile dalliance in the matter and taking counsel of horace greelegs greeleys Gree leys leyle method of resumption which was to resume he started in to ti restrict by restricting his scheme was not a success and showed that he was more capable of dealing with the subject of law mixed with politics than of man the rudder of the ship of state and but little of comfort has ham come from the efforts in that direction of any one else now comes the new york herald with a plan which in one sense is strictly american even it if it be absurd it suggests that every incoming ino omine immigrant be required to pay an admission fee of one hundred dol dollars laral by such means we would also have a few more officeholders office holders perhaps national doorkeeper and assistants for instance such a suggestion briage the national character down instead of keeping it up it to is mercenary exclusiveness not statesmanship in any sense it is as the chicago Mail says ludicrous almost criminal it is not the absence of money on the part of the immigrant that makes him a possibly dangerous citizen it to is the absence of character r of intelligence of adaptability to amer wan lean institutions america Is ia too much cursed with plutocracy already says our it la Is mind not money that in hakea s kes the man and the desirable A american citizen it ta la easy enough for a criminal to steal a hundred dollars to insure him safe passage past the immigration scylla or even for a european committee to furnish a mendie mendicant ant with that amount if sure by so BO doing that they are thus forever rid of a pauper new york has frequently been spoken of sit as an u na n A merica n city this suggestion estion of the herald is certainly a most un UD american idea 22 it is the be same with this as it has been with some other national subjects it to Is not grasped in a broad and comprehensive preben sive spirit in consonance with the theory of our structure and its in it is tinkered with and nibbled at and the whole business is ill undignified and unworthy |
