Speech #550047742

Many of the worst characters that have come to America from Europe can read and write. and in that sense may be said to be educated. and this class could be admitted underthe provisions of thisbill. regardlessof their character or fitness in other respects. Herr John Most is said to be an educated man. He is a gold bug and in 1896 voted the Republican ticket. and yet he is admitted on all hands to be the most notorious anarchist of the country. and has stirred up more lawlessness and done morein the last ten years to bring our country and its immigration laws into disrepute than any other individual in the United States. Let the test of admission be based on something practical. Let us institute a system of consular inspection in the district in which the proposed immigrant lives before he embarks and incurs the expense and inconvenience of a perilous trip across the ocean. That would be a practical method of reaching the difficulty. for before the consul it might be shown by competent evidence that. while not possessed of the ability to read the Constitution in any language. still he had an adequate conception of our form of government. was honest. industrious. healthy. selfsupporting. and energetic. and if found to possess these qualifications. why should we not permit him to come here and establish a home. and as rapidly as he could otherwise qualify himself become a citizen of the United States? Sir. I admit that it would be unwise for us to imperil our institutions by too great laxity in our laws. but I take it for granted that no gentleman desires to do this. It would not do to allow a horde of men who are alien in feeling and sentiment to a republican form of government. or who have an inadequate conception of the sacredness of our institutions. to come to our shores. We should be careful in this respect and know that we are able to assimilate our immigrants as we receive them. and if we should take these and like precautions. which I think we can do under present laws if our immigration and naturalization acts are properly executed. our institutions will not be imperiled in any degree by desirable immigrants. And right here. sir. I want to say that we have laws against the importation of contract laborers which are almost hourly. daily. weekly. monthly. and yearly violated by those who advocate a high protective -policy and who cry out against the importation of articles manufactured in foreign countries by foreign laborers. who themselves violate the laws of the United States in bringing here such laborers to be thrown into deadly conflict with our American laboring people. To one familiar with the manner in which our immigration laws have been administered the bill under consideration must be regarded as a grim sarcasm. We know it has been the policy in the East to import contract laborers of alien races. and even criminals in some instances. for the express purpose of reducing the condition of the American laboring man. That such of our people as have engaged in violating the law should now be really concerned for the preservation of our institutions is not to be believed. M r. President. we should not forget that the policy of this country has been to admit all duly qualified persons who can be readily assimilated. and -who are willing to conform to our usages and customs. and who are attached to a republican form of government. and who will take on themselves the duties and responsibilities of citizenship. In fact. we have from the organization of the Government from every newspaper and rostrum in the land declared the United States to be the asylum of the oppressed of all nations and that here. under the vegis of our flag. all who love liberty and are willing to abjure allegiance to the king or potentate of whom they were former subjects shall in the course of time become citizens and receive our protection. And now the Committee on Immigration propose reversing this policy. because. in the greed of certain sections to obtain cheap labor. they have been overrun by Mongols and by a horde of criminals from the ports of Europe. We should not. however. permit this fact to prevent us doing full justice to the liberty loving of the world who wish to enoy ourinstitutions. and whose accession will support rather than endanger our Government. Those who -are adapted by blood. habits. and disposition to become respectable and responsible citizens. and who. instead of endangering our institutions. will give aid and assistance in the hour of peril. should be admitted as formerly.