Joseph McKenna

“ In the ruling of the Supreme Court that a 'section 6 certificate,' as the court and counsel call it, is the prescribed evidence for admission under the immigration law, we do not concur, but in the ruling of the court that an applicant for admission as a merchant must be such at the time of his application we do concur. ”

“ The law is in administration of a policy which, while it confers a privilege, is concerned to preserve it from abuse, and therefore has appointed officers to determine the conditions of it, and speedily determine them, and on practical considerations, not to subject them to litigious controversies, and disputable, if not finical, distinctions. ”

“ The law defines the classes of aliens which shall be excluded from admission to the United States, but provides that the exclusion shall not apply to persons having the 'status or occupations' of 'merchants.' This means, necessarily, having the 'status' at the time admission is sought, not a status to come, or to be established. ”