It was never suggested that we had in this country a surplus of brain toilers. and. least of all. that the market for the services of Christian ministers was depressed by foreign competition. Those were matters to which the attention of Congress. or of the people. was not directed. So fai. then. as the evil which was sought to be remedied interprets the statute. it also guides to an exclusion of this contract from the penalties of the act." But If It be said. nevertheless. that Congress must be presumed to have intended to prohibit States as well as others. and official as well as private persons. from assisting foreign laborers to immigrate. since assisted immigration is the thing forbidden and forbidden in general and unqualified terms. the answer is twofold : First. whatever the evil a statute is designed* to suppress the means of suppressing It are confiled to those pointed out by the words of the act. and. second. a penal statute will be held to apply only to those who are clearly embraced within its terms. On the first point the Supreme Court has said: " We recognize the value of the rule of construing statutes with reference to the evil they were designed to suppress as an Important aid in ascertaining the meaning of language in them which is ammliguous and equally susceptible of conflicting constructions. but this court has repeatedly held that this rule does not apply to instances which are not embraced In the language employed in the statute or Implied from a fair interpretation of its context. even though they may Involve the same mischief which the statute was designed to suppress. (United States v. Chase. 135 U.
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