Mr. Speaker. there are two reasons which in my judgment render it inadvisable to adopt the conference report which is now before the House. One is. as the gentleman from Iowa has so felicitously said. that while the bill permits the immigrant who possesses the legal qualifications to bring in his grandfather. it prohibits him from bringing in his wife. if unfortunately she should be unable to read and write. Another. Mr. Speaker. and more serious objection is that the bill discriminates against those foreigners who have already immigrated. many bf whom have already become American citizens. by preventing them from bringing to this country their parents or their children. unless their parents or their children should be able to stand. as the gentleman from Iowa expresses it. a civilservice examination. These features of the measure are. in my opinion. indefensible. and ought by all means to be corrected. I do not participate. Mr. Speaker. in the idea that foreign immigration is an unmixed evil. I do not think that we should. by restrictive legislation. prevent a desirable class of foreigners from coming to our shores. We want as many of them to come South as can be induced to do so. at least for some years yet. While. sir. I think it is entirely proper that we should restrict and prevent. as far as possible. the immigration of the classesvhich will not make good citizens. yet I think that this bill is entirely too radical in its provisions. and that it ought at least to permit those of our foreignborn citizens or residents who are with us to bring to their adopted country their parents or their children. It is going beyond the bounds of all reason to say that a man who is qualified under the present law to be admitted to our territory shall not be able to bring with him his wife and his children under the age of majority because they are unable to read and write the English language or the language of their country or of their residence. For these reasons.
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immigration immigrated immigrant