The alien who is here. with the authority or permission of the United States. on conducting himself properly for five years. to become an American citizen. and who is here in all respcts conducting himself properly. ought not certainly to have such a tax put upon him. It is very hard on the immigrant to have a tax put on him in order to bring in his wife and minor children. We regard a person who has made his preliminary declaration as entitled to the national protection. so that the whole Army and the whole Navy are pledged to his protection. We settled that many years ago in the case of Martin Koszta. where we compelled an Austrian manofwar to give him up. if I recollect aright the circumstances. To levy a tax on such an alien to bring in his wife or children is an outrage. This immigration law. while it is popular in some quarters. contains enough in it. necessarily I dare say. for I am not criticising it. to constitute a pretty severe strain when we consider that after all the people who are coming in are human beings and not cattle. and to add to it the additional burden of imposing on a man who. for many purposes. is virtually a United States citizen if he comply with some conditions subsequent. a tax to bring in his wife and minor children seems to me utterly wrong.
Keywords matched
immigration immigrant