Speech #570093211

Well. the section has not been adopted. but it is a proposed section of this bill. The bill has not been adopted. but that section. although in the form of an amendment. is the work. as I understand it. of the committee. If I do not misunderstand this billand I do not see how I canaccording to the provisions of it any persons can come from Canada or Cuba or Mexico without paying one red copper cent. although they may be as objectionable a class of immigrants as can come from any country. That surely the Senator from Georgia does not desire. If.I do not misunderstand the bill. they can come without answering any of the questions that are propounded to other alien immigrants and which other alien immigrants are required to answer. There was a propriety. so long as the bill was broad enough to apply to every passenger without regard to whether he was an immigrant or not. in exempting our neighbors who occupy territory contiguous to us. and from which territory there is a constant stream of people coming by every railroad train that crosses the border line. But when this bill. with proper language. was restricted to immigrants. as it was intended to be restricted to immigrants in the beginning. it became appropriate to strike out the exemption of those countries from the operation of the measure. because. in the first place. there is no reason founded in policy why an alien immigrant who can not read. or who has a loathsome disease. or who is unfit in our opinion to become an American citizen on any account. should be admitted when coming from one country rather than another. There is no reason that I know of why alien immigrants of an objectionable character coming from Canada or Mexico should not be treated as alien immigrants of an objectionable character coming from Italy or Germany or any other country on the face of the globe. But. Mr. President. there is another reason. and that is the one. as I said. that is at the foundation of my objection to this language. and that is it is unquestionably a violation of that clause with respect to the mostfavored nation found in every treaty that has that clause in it. If the effect of that clause in a treaty with another country is to give that country a right to have their immigrants come here on the same terms and conditions that they come here from Canada or Mexico. and we prescribe no terms or conditions as to them. then they come in free of terms and conditions from every such other country. It is an opening of the door. a letting down of the bars. a negation absolute of all that is intended to be accomplished by this bill. in so far as we may have treaties of that kind. I do not know with how many countries we have those treaties. but we have enough to make it so serious that we ought not to provide an open door for their immigrants.