Speech #540103171

They have more opportunities of near refuge than have people oppressed in Europe. because those people would have to fly to the United States in order to obviate the necessity of going to other countries ruled perhaps in the same despotic manner as the country from which they desire to expatriate themselves. It occurs to me that the difficulties suggested by the amendment of the Senator from Alabama. and the attempt to remedy that amendment by the Senator from Massachusetts. axe very suggestive of grave objections to the whole bill. Under the present bill none but criminals. paupers. diseased persons. as I understand. are excluded from the United States as immigrants. The shores of the United States are open now under our laws to all people who are oppressed in any quarter of the globe. provided they do not come within the classes mentioned here. If we admit political refugees from one country we may make an invidious distinction. or we may make a very serious mistake. I am not in favor ofclosing our doors against political refugees from any country if they have the requisite qualifications of our present immigration laws. I think it would be a bad distinction. I think it would be unwise. because people who. at home. have that sense of liberty which impels them to rebel against monarchical and oppressive institutions are very likely to make the very best citizens for the United States. I was heartily in favor of the amendment offered by the Senator from Illinois . I thought if an educational qualification were to be imposed as a condition of immigration that that qualification ought to be as light as possible. and I was perfectly willing to extend the period to 21 years of age in order to obviate the apparent danger of dividing parent and child. as would almost inevitably occur where the limit of illiteracy was placed at 14 years of age. for the child might be illiterate. or. vice versa. the parent illiterate. At 21 years of age the parental relations cease. and there would be no objection on the ground of separation of the family. I am perfectly willing. so far as I am concerned. to allow the present immigration laws to stand as they are. I am of opinion that the difficulty suggested by the amendment of the Senator from Alabama will disclose the weakness of any attempt to impose a qualification of illiteracy. I would inquire whether it follows as a matter of course that an illiterate immigrant makes a good citizen of the United States. and I would inquire whether the vast domain of the South and West are now so full of working people. of hardy immigrants. as to justify or necessitate the limitation of immigration proposed in this bill. A class of immigrants termed undesirable (I think the Italians have been called "undesirable" in debate. if not so. I beg pardon) have largely flowed toward my part of the country. They make very excellent citizens.