Speech #540129863

Over against the glorious arch spanning these portals of our land an "educational test" has been inscribed. not formulated by leagues and submitted by inspectors. in unmeaning words. but writ in characters of living light. flashing across oceans andcontinents and seas. "Otiosis hic locus non est. discede morator!" This land is not for the lazy. loafer depart! A legend read in every land. spoken by every tongue. interpreted at every humble fireside. and graven on every fingerboard beyond the seas. to guide the wanderer to our western land. These immigrants come here to woik. Mr. President. to work for some good. be it never so lowly. All work to them is noble and holy. They want their great deeds to be their prayer to their God! This is the character of immigration. sifted and restricted by the wholesome laws which the Democratic party has provided. that the Democratic party invites today. From 1852 to 1896 these wholesome immigration laws have been invoked in every Democratic platform. [From the Democratic platform of 18512.] 10. That the liberal principles embodied by Jefferson in the Declaration of Independence. and sanctioned in the Constitution. which make ours the land of liberty and the asylum of the oppressed of every nation. have ever been cardinal principles In the Democratic faith. and every attdmpt to abridge the privilege of becoming citizens and the owners of soil among us ought to be resisted with the same spirit which swept the ahen and sedition laws from our statute books. [From the Democratic platform of 1892.] InimionRATION. SEc. 12. We heartily approve all legitimate efforts to prevent the United States from being used as the dumping ground for the known criminals and professional paupers of Europe. and we demand the rigid enforcement of the laws against Chinese immigration. or the importation of foreign workmen under contract to degrade American labor and lessen its wages. but we condemn and denounce any and all attempts to restrict the immigration of the industrious and worthy of foreign lands. [From the Republican platform of 1896.] For the protection of the quality of our American citizenship. and of the wages of our workingmen against the fatal competition of lowpriced labor. we demand that the immigration laws be thoroughly enforced. and so extended as to exclude from entrance to the United States those who can neither read nor write. The clouds are in the heavens. Mr.