Speech #590004500

Why? Because they say we are in an era of prosperity. that that prosperity brings work to the American workInan and wages to the American laborer. and they will not interfere with present conditions. They say it comes from the prptection that has been given our manufacturers under the Dingley bill . yet they are leaving the sluice gates wide open for indiscriminate immigration to come into this country. for the pauper labor of the world to come into competition in American factories and on American farnis with American labor [applause]. contrary to the very essence of the argument that they make that the protection of American labor is secured by the protectivetariff theoaies of the Republican party. It is argued by those in favor of admitting all immigrants that it was by that policy that we built up this country-. that it was through the admission of immigrants without restriction into Anierica that this great country was settled and developel. We are all bound to admit that we can count back in the course of four or five generations to the original imilgrants who came from the old country to establishi our line here. But I want to say that the question of immigration in the past and the question of immigration today :ire entirely different problems to consider. They are as.different as black is from Wlhite. and why? Because we are receiving an entirely different kind of people. We may want. and do want. imnmigration of our blood. of our kith and kin. to develop and build up this country. lut we do not want immigrants to come into this country who will tear down the American standard of life. of living and of wages. who are of inferior races to our own. who have been Oppressed and pauperized for so many centuries that they are unable to maintain the high ideals of American citizenship. The early history of the immigration coming to this country shows that it came from the people of Celtic and Teutonic blood. It came from northern Europe. ft came from those people who lve created time present civilization of the world. The facts show that the immigration coining to America today is not of the Teutonic and Celtic peoples. but it is from. the Slav. the lberic. and the Mongolian races in larger proportions than it is of the blood of northern Europe. What is the difference? We find that in the fiscal year ending June 30. 1905. 1.026.000 immigrants came into the United States. a greater number than the entire number of immigrants that came to this country from the settlement of Jamestown down to the adoption of the Declaration of Independencemore people coming into the United States in one year than all who came prior to the establishment of our independent Government. That immense number should cause the American people to look well to the question as to who are making up this vast immigration coming here to mix their blood with our blood and with whom we must ultimately assimilate. In the early history of the country the immigrants came to Anmerica for a different reason than that which brings them here now. In the beginning of our settlement they came here to free themselves from the oppression of bad government in Europe. They belonged to that same independent race of men of the Aryan blood who. when they left their homes in the Caucasian Mountains. came with the idea already embedded in their hearts and minds of the glories of selfgovernment.