Speech #500117906

So I have no hesitation whatever in asking for an immediate decision upon the question pending before the Senate. I only wish to call the attention of the Senate to one further aspect of the whole subject which has been developed to my mind in the progress of the debate. My attention was not directed very early to this subject of Chinese immigration and its effects upon our institutions. only within the last ten years have I thought very much about the subject. That may not be much to my credit. but. sir. I had never studied the situation very much until during the last ten years. and having the impulses of a Republican. and. I think. of an American citizen generally. I felt that it was a mistaken idea to put a restriction upon immigration. thereby closing this great continent to which we have invited all the peoples of the earth for their improvement. that they might be instructed in republicanism and in whatsoever appertained to a higher civilization. that they might participate in the blessings of that civilization if they chose to remain here. and that if they preferred to return to their own land they might go as missionaries. carrying with them every good thing in morals. in education. in industry. in love of liberty. and in all that may go to build up great. free. and prosperous communities in the older countries. That was the way I felt about it. and that was the way the North generally felt about it. When restrictive legislation was first asked for by the people of the Pacific coast. it was something that I admit struck me as almost running counter to the principles of the Declaration of Independence. It was only upon a closer examination. when I saw that these Chinese people were infinite in number and inferior to our own race. that they would not assimilate with our race. and that they would ultimately overwhelm and drown out our civilization. that I became alarmed. and since that time. as a Republican. and as an Eastern Republican. I have felt that it was indispensable that in some way consistently with good faith we should be able to restrict and to utterly prevent for future time this immigration from China. So it seemed perfectly natural to me that the great North. with its free institutions and its free spirit. should take the same view of it. and acting under all the circumstances with the feeling that I have explained. the North has come to occupy precisely the same position that our friends of both political parties do on the Pacific coast. But the point that troubles me most is how our friends on the other side of the Chamber should apparently have the same feeling that we have about it. The Democratic party upon the Pacific coast was first in favor of Chinese immigration. Now upon that coast and all over the country it seems to be opposed to it. though not a Democrat has risen on this floor to advocate this bill or to advocate any other bill restricting Chinese immigration during the session of Congress. so far as I remember. All those who have opposed it from the Democratic party have been our friends from the South. and I could not understand why they should be so exceedingly ardent and eageropponents of immigration which was doing injury to civilization in the North and West and feeling about this subject precisely as the Republicans did. That I could not understand. But in looking over this book on Chinese immigration. which I notice is continually referred to by our friends on the other side. I found what I thought might be the explanation. It is in the testimony of Governor Low. of Cdifornia. to be found on the seventysixth page of this book.