Speech #570110518

Mr. President. recklessness in the past in matters of this importance is no argument for recklessness in the presentit never is in regard to any legislationand it certainly can not be in regard to legislation a such moment as that of a bill to admit new States. We attempt to throw around the admission of a single immigrant into this country safeguards to protect the citizenship of the United States as well as their health and general welfare. Those safeguards are. to my mind. very insufficient. but the attempt to guard the people of the United States in regard to the admission of immigrants is a wellestablished policy in our legislation. We have also thrown safeguards aromd citizenship itself. We require certain formalities. certain conditions. before we admit a man to citizenship in the United States. If the law is properly administered. he is to be asked certain questions to discover whether he possesses the necessary qualifications. The laws in regard to naturalization. in my opinion. like the laws in regard to immigration. are insufficient. and could be greatly improved and infinitely better enforced. But. nevertheless. both laws show that it is the intent of the Government. and must be always the intent of a government where every man of a certain age forms a part of the governing power. to protect their citizenship. If it is important. then. that one man should have proper qualifications. first. to settle in the country. and second. to become part of its citizenship. what shall be said of the importance of admitting an entire community. many thousands of men at one stroke. to the citizenship of the United States. and admitting them. not merely to citizenship. not merely to a vote. but admitting them to representation and to power as an integral part of the Government of the United States? No. Mr. President. the fact that we have been careless in our immigration laws and that they are insufficient is no argument why we should not be more careful today. The fact that our naturalization laws are not properly enforced in many places is no reason why they should not be well enforced. The fact that we have been careless in the past and have admitted new States very easily and heedlessly is no argument that we should be careless and incautious today. On the contrary. every argument makes in one direction. that our care and our caution in the admission of new States should become greater and more minute as the years pass by. because with every passing year the estate to which we admit these new partners becomes greater. the heritage in which they are to share grows nobler and richer..