Speech #530018028

Mr. President. on the 4th day of July. 1864. an act entitled "An act to encourage immigration" was approved. Section 2 of the act providedThat all contracts that shall be made by emigrants to the United States in foreign countries. in conformity to regulations that may be established by the said commissioner [the Commissioner of Immigration]. whereby emigrants shall pledge the wages of their labor for a term not exceeding twelve months. to repay the expenses of their emigration. shall be held to be valid in law. That section and the next one provide for the contracting of foreign persons with citizens of the United States in foreign c:untries to perform service and labor in the United States at whatever agreement as to wages might be satisfactory to the p.irties concerned. It was further provided that a lien might be hcld by the citizen of the United States on the labor of the alien for the period of a year. and that that lien should include the property of the immigrant. even to the extent of a homestead. should he acquire one. The act further provided that the immigrant should be excused from military service. making a discrimination between the alien and the native. Mr. President. during the third year of our great war. when labor was becoming high and scarce. when a large part of the wrkingforce of the country was in the Army. began that system of immigration to this country by an inferior class of people from other countries. taking the places of our own work people to a larger extent. and degrading American labor. so that today the condition of the American workman and workwoman. whether native or naturalized. is very largely and very seriously affected. In all of the large cities of the country.at this hour. a wonderfully large number of the work people. both male and female. are persons of foreign birth. and unnaturalized residents of this country. I am not complaining of foreign immigration. I am not complaining that persons of foreign birth are permitted to come and reside with us. but I am trying to show that a large part of the troubles arising among our working people and. to a large extent. the fall in the prices of their labor and the decrease of their home comforts is attributable to this law of 1864. Americans of all classes welcome the foreigner w4o comes to our soil with the intention of becoming one of us. helping to build up our country. to develop the resources of this prolific part of the earth which we occupy. to become a citizen of the Republic. to share its burdens. its responsibilities. and the glories of our citizenship. We welcome that class of immigrants. but to those who come simply for the purpose of making money and returning to their own homes to spend it. who have no sympathy with us or with our institutions. who have no intention of becoming citizens with us. or of assimilating with us and becoming part of our populationthat class of people we do not want. and it will be well for us if early in the future we take steps to prevent their incoming. I now call attention to the argumentof the Senator from Texas . delivered a few days ago. It is found in the RECORD under date of September 23. and on pages 1655. 1656. and 1657. the Senator undertakes to show that the fall in prices of farm products has not been any greater than the fall in the prices of the articles which the farmer is compelled to purchase in supplying his family and in carrying on the work of his farm. and that therefore the farmer is in as good condition as he was twenty years ago.