Speech #540118189

Can it be that we are forgetting that all that constitutes true manliness is the willingness of a man to sacrifice something of himself for others? Can it be possible that this bad measure is to be urged through the House on the plea that this measure must be adopted or a good measure can not be had? I confess I shrink with extreme reluctance from adding any other prohibition to those already raised to impede immigratio to this country. Have we forgotten so soon the motives ana principles that moved our fathers or our grandfathers when they first came here? I tell you. sir. that we are none of us so fat removed from the immigrant that we can lightly touch him by the smallest weight of our little finger or lay the burden of a hair upon him that we can possibly avoid in justice to ourselves. When we do restrict immigration. it should be done with the very greatest possible care. Is the educational qualification the only one? Why. Mr. Speaker. the very worst class of immigrants that now come here can not only read and write. but they are. some of them. from the most highly educated classes. Such people are found in the ranks of the socialists. the communists. the anarchists. and the nihilists. They may come. and we have no means of excluding them. We have no law for their exclusion. Is it not better for our own interests and the interests of the foreign born who have already made their homes among us that the better class of honest toilers from these foreign countries should come here to balance their baneful influences? Is it not true that in the last election it was am6ng these peoplein our foreignborn populationwe found the most conservative of our people? I say. sir. that the most conservative people during the last campaign and election were found in the immigrants who have made theirhomes amongst us. Almost to a man they were found honest. faithful to our institutions. and conservative. The House bill was sufficienly drastic. but let us look for a moment at the condition of this bill as it is returned to us by the conference committee.