Speech #570093177

Mr. President. I do not believe this bill would have received the vote in the committee room of a single member of the committee if it had been stated that it was intended not only to affect immigrants coming into this country. but tourists and passengers who were simply visiting this country for pleasure. It was the object and purpose of this bill to prevent undesirable immigrants from coming into this country. Thatwas the purpose of it before this amendment was made. and every single member of the committee construed it to mean just exactly what the bill says now. The Senator may have been mistaken. we may all have been mistaken in regard to what it meant. but certainly we intended at the time the bill came from the committee that "passenger" should mean" immigrant" and that citizens of Mexico. Canada. and Cuba should be excepted from the restrictions herein imposed. Now. it was the consensus of opinion in the committee. in view of the fact that these Republics joined so closely to ours and were so closely connected with us in business relations. Canada being right here at our door. our neighbor and our friend. and Cuba being almost our ward. that this stringent immigration law should not apply to either of them. and I do not hesitate to say that the report made by the chairman of the committee. pointing out the danger to our business interests by reason of these restrictions applying to these three neighbors of ours. is able and can not be answered.