Speech #540082109

The statistics that I referred to a moment ago show that claimed nineteen centuries ago. It is a doctrine that the Ameriof the total population of Massachusetts 66 per cent of her people can people ought to consider as being brought home to us. and we are in her large cities. New York. a great broad empire as she ought to consider it in connection with this very measure. is. has 58 per cent almost of her population living in the large I have already said that the great complaint comes to us from cities and towns. and the cry comes to us from them to stop this the Atlantic Seaboard cities. from that portion of the country immigration. And I want to say here that there has been sent to where our mills and our factories and our mines are situated. the Committee on Immigration many thousands of petitions in What part of the country asks for immigration? Is it the agrifavor of the passage of the Stone bill. I want to say that many cultural portion? Well. Mr. Speaker. we are not getting very petitions have been received in favor of the passage of all of these many agriculturists from our foreign immigrants at this time. measures. They have come to us from almost every section of the We are getting very few in fact. There is no very great encourcountry. and I desire to say in this connection that while I rep- agement for men engaged in agriculture at this time in the United resent many Germans. many men of foreign birth. I have not States. With 16cent wool. with 45cent wheat. and with other received. although I think it is well known in my district that I agricultural products about in the same proportion. there is no am a member of the Committee on ImmigrationI have not re- great demand for adding to our agricultural products at this time. ceived one single protest from a single citizen in my district against I have already said that our mills and our mines are overcrowded. the passage of the bill. nor has any been received that I know of. that those who are not out of employment are working on short About the first I knew of any opposition to the measures of re- time. and that there are threatenings from the labor conditions strictionproposed bythecommittee came fromthegreat steamship of the country. I believe that the questions that grow out of the lines of this country. Their representatives have been vigilant differences between capital and labor should be reconcired among before the committee and the House. and before the country. in themselves. but if it becomes necessary to reconcile those differattempting to defeat the passage of restrictive measures. As has ences in some other way. I shall very much deprecate the hour or been already said. great steamships have been built for almost the the day when American labor is to be beaten down at the end of sole and express purpose of carrying immigrants from other coun- American guns. That is not the policy at which we should aim. tries to our shores. and one of the agents of these companies in If there is relief in any other direction. we should give it in that talking before our committee said. when speaking of the consular other direction and not in the direction of force. inspection system. that their steamship coifapanies had agents in Now. it has been said here that the time to applythe educational every village in Europe. They are there for the purpose of induc- test is when the foreigner makes his application to become nating immigration to this country. We had in 1890 and 1891 500.000. uralized. I do not believe in that policy. I do not believe that I believe. of these people thrown upon our shores. and that immi- we should have in this country. working in our mines and our gration. has been stimulated by these great corporations. They mills and on our farms. any considerable number of people who are in Europe for this purpose. They are there for the purpose have not at least declared their intention to become citizens of the of stimulating immigration. and they dilate upon the higher and United States. We should extend the time as far at least as presbetter wages paid in this country than in European countries. and ent legislation goes. before full citizenship is acquired. but the one gentleman said before the committee that these men who come intention to become a citizen of the United States. to take a part across with their families know as much. or more. about the or- in this Government. to be a part of our people. the intention on ganized charities of New York. Boston.