Speech #550032346

But it was the President of the Senator from South Carolina. and not a Republican President. who put the barrier in the way of restriction upon immigration by vetoing the measure that was enacted by the last Congress. Under those circumstances the Senator. before criticising the Republican party for any assumed unwillingness on its part to restrict immigration. should have turned the tines of his pitchfork against Grover Cleveland. who is not yet dead. and should have disemboweled him. if possible. leaving the Republican party to some future day. Mr. President. so much by way of responding to the genial and gentle badinage of the Senator from South Carolina. A few words as to the merits of the question. I will join. this side of the House will join. the Senator from South Carolina in passing any wise. stringent bill for the restriction of immigration. If this session continues long enough. after passing the tariff bill and the bill allowing the State of South Carolina to do what it pleases with all the spirituous liquor that wicked Northerners and conspiring Southerners may take into the borders of that State. the Senator will have an opportunity to vote to pass over again the bill which President Cleveland vetoed. and which required that foreigners coming to this country should be able to read and write. That would be a wise law. and if the Senator from South Carolina can discover any other restrictive law that will be beneficial and will preserve the purity of American citizenship. and will preserve American labor for American laborers. no doubt he will find many more Senators on this side of the Chamber willing to vote for it than upon the other side of the Chamber. although in saying that I make no imputation upon the Democratic side of the Chamber. because Democrats and Republicans alike concurred in the overwhelming majorities by which the bill was passed which a Democratic President vetoed.