Speech #500121417

Brent. of St. Louis. was antagonistic to his opinion that this was a free home for all comers. The distinguished Senator from Massachusetts delivered an oration which must always rank among the best delivered in the Senate for the last twenty years upon that single ground. that the Declaration of Independence was being trampled under foot. that there should be no distinction as to color in admitting immigrants to this country. and that the old idea of Charles Sumnier was the correct one. that the word "white"I should be stricken out from the naturalization laws. The second contention was that the legislation of 1882 violated the treaty with China. But the Senator from Nevada and all the Senators from the Pacific coast. Democratic and Republican (for both parties then were represented from the Pacific States). scouted at the idea that the Declaration of Independence had any such meaning. and stood with the overwhelming majority of the Democrats in this Chamber upon the idea that our first duty was to the people of the United States. and that. without anyregard to the doctrines of theDeclaration of Independence. which had in our opinion no such meaning. we had a right. and it was a sacred duty. to protect ourselves against this deluge of Mongolian immigration. Mr. President. I want no argument to convince me that the Chinese should not come to this country. I saw them in the construction of the Northern Pacific Railroad in gangs ofthree hundred and five hundred. and I would rather have yellow fever. smallpox. cholera. socially and politically in this country. than to have the Chinese I then saw engaged in the construction of that great road. These laundry people that we see. these domestic servants. do not represent the Chinese immigration to the Pacific coast. A man must have seen. -s I saw. the laborers who were brought in by the Six Companies and used in the construction of the Pacific roads in order to appreciate the danger to our civilization. our religion. our morality. by letting such people become citizens or denizens of the United States.