Immigration must be either controlled and directed or it must be abolished, and the last-named alternative is eliminated by common sense and considerations of a humane7 nature. We need the immigrants. Our nation owes its strength to-day to those who have crossed the ocean in other years. Our great industries need their brawn8, our undeveloped regions need their toil9, and we can easily accept 150,000,000 more human beings as raw material; but they must come as raw 298material,—good raw material. That given, our civic10 atmosphere, our conditions, our national spirit must do the rest, and patriots11 must look to the children of the immigrants for the best results rather than to the immigrants themselves.
Diseased, deformed12, or physically13 insufficient14 persons are not and never can be good raw material, and should not be allowed to leave their homes, nor should any members of their families on whom they are, or are likely to be, dependent.
Convicts, prostitutes, persons engaged in questionable15 pursuits, anarchists16, radical3 socialists17, and political agitators19 are a menace to the body politic18, though reasonable inability to make a livelihood20 should be considered a mark of pauperism21 rather than failure to accumulate any property whatsoever22 under European conditions.
The true conditions of all such persons is readily ascertainable23 from the civic, police, and military records in the communes of their residence, to which can be added the supplemental evidence of their neighbors and the local officials of the communes. In the communes of their nativity the truth is known and cannot be hidden. At the ports of embarkation24 combined influences can deceive the best officials. At the ports of arrival the hand of the inspector25 is still weaker, no matter how thorough the examination or how excellent the system.
The conclusion is plain: seek the grounds on which to deny passage to emigrants26 who wish to come to the United States, in the villages from which they emanate27.
What seems to me to be the best plan to do this, to keep the expense below that which it is at present, and to avoid the opportunities which are sure to be presented for wholesale28 corruption29 of American officials 299by the transportation interests and by the emigrants themselves, is this:
select emigrants before itinerant30 boards of two, three, or more native-born Americans who speak fluently and understand thoroughly31 the language and dialects of the people who come before them,—these boards to be on a civil-service basis.
The long diplomatic delays and ensuing red tape of incorporating the privileges of these boards in treaties with the several European governments can be avoided by temporary operation under the present consular32 system of the United States, and little objection would be met with from any of the governments from whose domains33 the immigrants come.
In districts from which the emigration is profuse34 at present, a smaller number of communes and a more frequent visitation should be the regulation. The sittings of the boards should be announced by advertisements a sufficient length of time in advance to allow all persons contemplating35 emigration to prepare to appear for examination. Examiners should be prepared to furnish information as to destinations and opportunities, and could, with care, prevent an increase of the congestion36 in the cities of the East. In extremity37, regulations could be made which would allow them to deny clearance38 and passage to persons desirous of going to districts already over-populated with aliens.
As to the requirements for admission to the United States, our present code of laws has them well defined except in the matter of illiteracy39, and my personal observation has been that illiteracy does not interfere40 either with the value of an immigrant to the civic body or with the rapidity of his absorption among us; in fact, the educated class cling more tenaciously41 to all 300that is Old Worldly, and are more inclined to hold political views that are at variance42 with our system of government. That a man cannot read or write his native tongue does not make him any the worse piece of raw material here.
When a party of emigrants has been passed and given papers with photographic identification as well as detailed43 physical description, with a time limit of use of thirty days, it should be instructed as to baggage so as to minimize this aggravating44 feature, and should depart under the charge of a courier, going to the nearest port of transatlantic departure. This would work a great change in emigrant-carrying lines, but is plainly the most convenient and economical procedure for all concerned. The party could be delivered directly on board on the day of sailing, and thus all the frauds and grafting45 schemes would be avoided. The saving to emigrants by this method would more than pay for the expenses of the examination.
It is easy to see how these visiting boards could promote emigration among the classes which are most desirable in northern and central Europe, and are now so chary46 of coming. Families which have something to lose by being turned back from the United States are loath47 to dispose of their property and make the venture. If they knew they were certain of admission before they left their homes, a year’s time would see the level of the grade of emigrants greatly elevated.
Of reforms in transportation, little need be said. Closed cabins and service of food for groups of six or eight, with an American Marine48 Hospital Service surgeon in charge of each ship, would bring about all that is needed, with a few minor49 regulations.
Ellis Island and the smaller immigrant stations should 301continue their functions much as they are now, only that little hospital room and deportation50 quarters would be needed; the registry feature would be decreased to an examination of papers for admittance and to the maintenance of the excellent card-index system. The distribution and detention51 features would necessarily be continued.
To the card-index system should be added a regulation compelling all aliens to report, at regular intervals52, their whereabouts and pursuits, to federal officials in federal judicial53 districts, until such time as they become citizens of the country or are ready to depart. A most important feature of this should be the indexing and tabulation54 of the hundreds of thousands of able-bodied men who have had the excellent military training of the armies of Europe, and would, if properly organized, constitute a fine reserve force in America of at least 2,000,000 men.
Deportation is the severest punishment which can fall on an alien in comparison with anything less than several years’ imprisonment55, and all admissions to the country should be made probationary56; the commission of any crime or crimes, and conviction therefor, to be followed by punishment and then by deportation. Many of the minor crimes committed by aliens are done with the intention of getting two or three years in prison in which to learn to read and write English and acquire a trade.
The practical statesman will at once object to this programme on the ground of the terrific expense of maintaining thousands of men in Europe to constitute these boards of examiners. By careful computation I have ascertained57 that it would cost approximately two dollars per head to examine and admit each immigrant, 302whereas at this time it costs each immigrant nearly five dollars to be examined, inasmuch as the extra expense to which the steamship58 company goes is added to the price of his ticket. Over and above this the money he relinquishes59 to grafters, subagents, advisers60, etc., totals a sum that is beyond reckoning.
Summing up, this plan would achieve in simple fashion the following things:
Undesirable61 emigrants would be prevented from leaving their homes.
Ruin and suffering would not fall on those now sent back.
Desirable immigration would be wonderfully stimulated62.
Practices of officials of foreign governments in dumping into this country criminals, foundlings, agitators, etc., would be ended.
Emigrants would be protected and great economy in travel would be effected.
Smuggling63 and underground methods would be disconcerted and contract-labor frauds prevented.
Naturalization frauds would cease to avail, and legal naturalization would be greatly increased.
Custom-house officers would be greatly assisted, revenues increased, and goods-smuggling minimized.
The proper distribution of the flood of immigration would be at all times under the control of the American government.
Immigration would cease to be affected64, to its detriment65, by the business competition of transportation companies interested solely66 in conveying as many aliens to America and back and forth67 again as often as possible, without any regard whatsoever to the class of people carried, so long as they have the money 303to pay the fares and swell68 the enormous profits that emigrant-carriers realize at present.
When these things are achieved, there is no one to deny that the immigration problem will have been solved, unless it be those who are ignorant and prejudiced in the matter, or who profit by the continued depression of the grade coupled with the increase in volume of immigration which mark the present condition in a way to cause every true American, who has the best interests of his country at heart, to look to the future with uncertainty69 and dread70.
The End
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1
evade
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| vt.逃避，回避；避开，躲避 | |
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inspection
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| n.检查，审查，检阅 | |
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radical
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| n.激进份子，原子团，根号；adj.根本的，激进的，彻底的 | |
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radically
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| ad.根本地，本质地 | |
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conscientious
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| adj.审慎正直的，认真的，本着良心的 | |
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formulate
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| v.用公式表示；规划；设计；系统地阐述 | |
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humane
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| adj.人道的，富有同情心的 | |
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brawn
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| n.体力 | |
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toil
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| vi.辛劳工作，艰难地行动；n.苦工，难事 | |
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civic
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| adj.城市的，都市的，市民的，公民的 | |
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patriots
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| 爱国者，爱国主义者( patriot的名词复数 ) | |
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deformed
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| adj.畸形的；变形的；丑的，破相了的 | |
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physically
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| adj.物质上，体格上，身体上，按自然规律 | |
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insufficient
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| adj.(for，of)不足的，不够的 | |
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questionable
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| adj.可疑的，有问题的 | |
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anarchists
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| 无政府主义者( anarchist的名词复数 ) | |
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17
socialists
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| 社会主义者( socialist的名词复数 ) | |
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politic
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| adj.有智虑的；精明的；v.从政 | |
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agitators
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| n.（尤指政治变革的）鼓动者( agitator的名词复数 )；煽动者；搅拌器；搅拌机 | |
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livelihood
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| n.生计，谋生之道 | |
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pauperism
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| n.有被救济的资格，贫困 | |
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whatsoever
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| adv.（用于否定句中以加强语气）任何；pron.无论什么 | |
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ascertainable
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| adj.可确定（探知），可发现的 | |
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embarkation
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| n. 乘船, 搭机, 开船 | |
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inspector
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| n.检查员，监察员，视察员 | |
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emigrants
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| n.（从本国移往他国的）移民( emigrant的名词复数 ) | |
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emanate
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| v.发自，来自，出自 | |
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wholesale
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| n.批发；adv.以批发方式；vt.批发，成批出售 | |
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corruption
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| n.腐败，堕落，贪污 | |
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itinerant
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| adj.巡回的；流动的 | |
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thoroughly
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| adv.完全地，彻底地，十足地 | |
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consular
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| a.领事的 | |
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domains
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| n.范围( domain的名词复数 )；领域；版图；地产 | |
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profuse
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| adj.很多的，大量的，极其丰富的 | |
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contemplating
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| 深思，细想，仔细考虑( contemplate的现在分词 )； 注视，凝视； 考虑接受（发生某事的可能性）； 深思熟虑，沉思，苦思冥想 | |
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congestion
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| n.阻塞，消化不良 | |
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extremity
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| n.末端，尽头；尽力；终极；极度 | |
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clearance
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| n.净空；许可(证)；清算；清除，清理 | |
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illiteracy
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| n.文盲 | |
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interfere
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| v.(in)干涉，干预；(with)妨碍，打扰 | |
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tenaciously
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| 坚持地 | |
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42
variance
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| n.矛盾，不同 | |
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detailed
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| adj.详细的，详尽的，极注意细节的，完全的 | |
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aggravating
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| adj.恼人的，讨厌的 | |
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grafting
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| 嫁接法，移植法 | |
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chary
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| adj.谨慎的，细心的 | |
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loath
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| adj.不愿意的；勉强的 | |
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48
marine
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| adj.海的；海生的；航海的；海事的；n.水兵 | |
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minor
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| adj.较小(少)的，较次要的；n.辅修学科；vi.辅修 | |
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50
deportation
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| n.驱逐，放逐 | |
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51
detention
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| n.滞留，停留；拘留，扣留；(教育)留下 | |
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52
intervals
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| n.[军事]间隔( interval的名词复数 )；间隔时间；[数学]区间；（戏剧、电影或音乐会的）幕间休息 | |
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53
judicial
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| adj.司法的，法庭的，审判的，明断的，公正的 | |
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54
tabulation
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| 作表，表格； 表列结果； 列表； 造表 | |
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55
imprisonment
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| n.关押，监禁，坐牢 | |
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56
probationary
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| 试用的，缓刑的 | |
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57
ascertained
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| v.弄清，确定，查明( ascertain的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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58
steamship
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| n.汽船，轮船 | |
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59
relinquishes
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| 交出，让给( relinquish的第三人称单数 )； 放弃 | |
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advisers
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| 顾问，劝告者( adviser的名词复数 )； （指导大学新生学科问题等的）指导教授 | |
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61
undesirable
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| adj.不受欢迎的，不良的，不合意的，讨厌的；n.不受欢迎的人，不良分子 | |
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62
stimulated
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| a.刺激的 | |
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63
smuggling
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| n.走私 | |
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affected
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| adj.不自然的，假装的 | |
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detriment
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| n.损害；损害物，造成损害的根源 | |
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solely
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| adv.仅仅，唯一地 | |
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67
forth
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| adv.向前；向外，往外 | |
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68
swell
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| vi.膨胀，肿胀；增长，增强 | |
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69
uncertainty
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| n.易变，靠不住，不确知，不确定的事物 | |
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dread
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| vt.担忧，忧虑；惧怕，不敢；n.担忧，畏惧 | |
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