Speech #500145393

And his clothing also. Being the friends of the American laborer. and there being no such friends in the world of the American laborer as this committee. the honorable Senator from Iowa leading this committee first takes the clothes that the immigrant may choose to bring. it makes no difference how costly. how much of them. or where hegot them. or at what price. and lets him in free with all his clothing. He comes here as an immigrant not pledged to stay. Hedoes like the Canadians do. he expects to go back in a month or a year. or perhaps he expects. like the Chinaman. to go back or. after he is dead. to have his bones carried back to the old country. You let him in free with the clothing he chooses to bring. it makes no difference what its cost. You let him in free to labor for a year with clothing enough bought in cheap foreign markets to last him the whole time. so that he will not buy a dollars worth in the United States. You let him in free. because lie is an immigrant. and yet you pretend to be the friend of the Anderican laborer as against the foreign laborer ! Not only so. but if he comes and brings his family. or comes by himself in the character of an immigrant. you let him in with all the " teams of animals" he wants to bring here. including their harness and tackle "and the wagons or other vehicles actually owned by persons emigrating from foreign countries" to this. A man could bring a thousand horses if he chose to do it as an immigrant. He certainly may bring a large number. and any number of vehicles he chooses to bring at any cost or expense. He can bring all he owns free of duty in the shape of animals. harness. tackle. carriages. and the like. and your bill admits him. and nobody can exclude him but the Secretary of the Treasury. who has discretionary power to make rules and regulations for the government in this country of immigration. Here is an exclusiveprivilege given to the immigrant from a foreign country and denied to our own citizens who need these articles to enable them to earn a living. Now. I will take "albumen. " I suppose there is enough of that produced in the United States. or else the hens have quit laying eggs.