Speech #520151361

He may be. but he brings here a list of his pas- immigration at any port to be the sole arbiter as to whether an sengers. just the same as he brings a manifest of his cargo. immigrant shall land or not. with an appeal in favor of the iWhen the ship arrives here the list is placed in the hands of migrant in case he is not permitted toland and noappeal in case our immigrant inspectors. and the inspection goes on at Ellis Is- he is unlawfully permitted to do so. should be changed. The land by our own inspectors. with the aid of that list. There they present law places in the hands of one person too much power have the whole history of each and every immigrant and can and responsibility. and renders him liable. notonly to be swayed make whatever examination may be necessary. by too generous impulses from within. but also exposes him to For the fiscal year ending June 30. 1892. there arrived influences by outside pressure. formidable and potent. The in the United States -------------------------------- 582. 464 position of the commissioner of immigration at the port of New Of these there were refused a landing ----------------2. 801 York. clothed with the power and responsibility now connected with it. is one which the most incorruptible would shrink from Landed ------------- -------------------- 579.663 assuming. You can not be unmindful of the tone of public opinion. voiced Of those debarred there were: by the press of our country. as to the turning loose in the midst Contract laborers ----------------------------------- 932 of our honest laborers and intelligent and religious people the Paupers ------------------------------------------- 1.002 hordes of vicious. depraved. criminal. and pauper elements of All other causes ------------------------------- 867 humanity now permitted to invade our land. We can not shut - our eyes to the growth of crime. pauperism. and insanity that is Total ------------------------------------------- 2.801 traceable from foreign countries to our prisons. almhouses. hospitals. and insane asylums. We can not look with indifference to the increase of foreign contract laborers. who are employed by selfish capitalists to reduce the wages of American workmen. All these classes gain admittance in some way. and it is the object and purpose of this bill. as far as it is possible. to secure more searching and scrutinizing inspections. made with a view to a more faithful and stricter enforcement of thelaws. What seems to have been heretofore called an examination appears from practical results more of a farce than a reality. and the pruning nife must be used with just discrimination. but fearlessly and effectually for the welfare of our countrymen. ire might fill the statute book with laws. but without faithful. competent. impartial. and intelligent interpretation and adminis.ration of them they are worthless paper. Section 5 of the law recently reported to the Senate and House. if enacted. will effect a wholesome reform: The change proposed is such that whenever an inspector is in doubt as to the right of an immigrant to land. he will detain him for a special inquiry. which shall be conducted by not less than four inspectors. requiring three of them to join ina favorable decision. with the right of an appeal by any dissenting inspector to the superintendent of immigraion. Sufficient time and attention is not devoted to the inspection. mental and physical. of each immigrant. The examination of from two to four thousand immigrants a day between the hours of 8:30 and 3 oclock must beef the most superficial character. unreliable. and of little value. It is not much more than a listing and enumeration. and does not constitute such an examination as is contemplated by law. The building of the immigrant station at Ellis Island and the employment of a large force of inspectors and others at a great cost and expense certainly justified the expectation that the work of inspection done there should be more thoroughly and effectually conducted than that done at the other ports of entry. where it is made on shipboard or upon the wharf. The most important feature of this bill is that it provides that an examination shall be made of the emigrant before he is permitted to embark upon his voyage to a distant country. This is made compulsory by requiring a manifest or list of immigrant passengers to be delivered to the inspection officers at the port of entry into the United States. verified by the oath of the captainof the vessel. or the second in command. and the surgeon. before a consular agent of the United States. before the departure of the vessel. stating that they have made a personal inspection of each of the immigrants. and that to the best of their knowledge and belief all on board their ship will be entitled to land in the United States. and that none of them come within the prohibited classes. The effect of such a requirement would be farreaching. Many of the best established lines of transatlanic steamship companies have been consulted. and have made no .serious objection to the proposition. but have induced me to believe that the compulsory feature will result in instructions being given by all steamship lines to their agents and subagents. located throughout Europe. to make a strict and thorough examination of each intended immigrant prior to selling him a ticket. on pain of being liable to refund to his company the cost to the immigrant his being refused a passage by the officers of the vessel at the V ort of departure. or in case of his being denied a landing in the nited States. This examination made by the agent prior to selling the ticket should be attended with the most beneficial results. and will tend to separate the desirable from the undesirable classes. and only enable those who will add to our prosperity as well as their own welfare to purchase a passage to our country. Practically we will have three examinations and inspections of immigrants. one made by the agent selling the ticket. who is also required by the proposed statute to have displayed in his office the laws of the United States relating to immigration. and to call the attention of the immigrant to them prior to purchase of ticket. Second. the inspection by the officers and surgeon of the veSsel at the port of departure. verified by oath. and. thirdly. an inspection by our own officers upon the arrival of the vessel in the United States. Such a system must result. in the judgment of this committee. if strictly regarded and enforced. in entirely eliminating the desirable from the undesirable and prohibited classes. and in restricting immigration. so far as it seems wise and prudent for the people of the United States to do so at the present time. looking at this great question in a national aspect. and taking into consideration the liberal views entertained in the new or Western States. and more or lessprevalent in the old or Eastern States. The steamship and transportation lines should be held responsible for the character of persons they bring to this country. It is a profitable business. and many of the immigrants are persuaded to make the venture by inducements many times magnified by ticket agents who receive a commission for their services. Should the proposed law be passed the very agents become the most efficient inspectors. In small towns and villages they will probably be personally acquainted with the intending immigrant. his family. and surroundings. In larger places they can readily acquire such information. If these agents perform their duty. and it will be to their pecuniary interest to do so. no tickets will be knowingly sold to any person suffering from a loathsome or dangerous contagious disease. or to one convicted of a felony or infamous crime. a polygamist. or one under contract to perform labor in the United States. Reviewing this matter in a humanitarian aspect. the plan must commend itself to the approval of all considerate persons. The intending immigrant is generally in very moderate circumstances. life is a burden where he is. and so he disposes of his little belongings and starts on a long journey with a family and lands at New York. where he or some of his family are refused a lauding on account of physical. mental. or other defects. or from other causes which could have been known at the time he left his home and bought his ticket. These are principally the cases where.sympathy blinds the eyes of our constitutional authority as to the letter of the law. If. however. we hold the steamship company responsible. and the steamship company holds its agents responsible in such cases. no more tickets will hereafter be sold to such an immigrant. He will be informed of the law preventing his landing in the United States. and his journey will be frustrated in its inception and its direful consequences averted. This mode of dealing with this absorbing subject will not be attended with any expense to our Government and no additional officers will be created. It will work smoothly and greatly assist our own officials in the inspection of those who are able to pass the inspection abroad. Itwill in no case render our inspection less strict and scrutinizing. but should render it more effective and reliable and afford our officials more time to make it perfect. so far as human wisdom can predict. This bill also provides that no more bonds or guarantees that an immigrant shall not become a public charge shall be taken unless authorized by the Superintendent of Immigration with the approval of the Secretary of the Treasury. The fact that the bond or guarantee is required shows that the party should not be permitted to land. In abolishing this system we return to their own country. or prevent the sale of passage tickets to. the most dangerous and debased elements of foreign exodus to this country.