Speech #470058150

President. I propose to vote for the bill. and I am entirely indifferent whether the bill provides for an exclusion of ten years or one hundred yearswhether it excludes the skilled or the unskilled Chinese labor. I think there can be no questioning the proposition that in every State and community in the United States. in every State possessing political power. when the people means. mously resolve that they do not desire a class of foreign immigrants to live among them. when they find in their social customs. their business habits. their personal habits. an antagonism which is revolting to the entire people of the State. it is a duty which Congress owes to protect that people from the settlement among them of a population entirely antagonistic to their habits. their religious beliefs. their political opinions. and their whole social. civil and economic polity. I can well conceive how there may be such an antagonisnean antagonism resulting from education. .rsulting from political asoeciatious. resulting from habits that have become fixed and dominant among the people. I can readily appreciate the fact that in a camminity where political power depends upon the individual there can be the gravest reasons of state in addition to the economic and social reasons which would antagonize such a people with those resident and dominant there. I can see much in this Chinese immigration which naturally produces that feeling. which properlyproduces that feeling. In the Constitution the language is explicit. and recognizes the right of a State to admit or exclude persons subject to the power of Congress. to prohibit tlfir migration or their importation hither. The uaquestionable power and. in my opinion. the unquestionable duty of Congress in such a case is to exercise that power for the protection of the people.