Speech #590043938

I certainly believe that 400.000 men who can read and write constitute a better body of citizens than another group of 400.000 men. a large number of whom are absolutely uneducated. We are not discussing the exclusion of illiterate people already here. I do not assert that if we had had the educational test last year we should have cut down our immigration 400.000. We should not have done so. As an illustration. return to my. boardinghouse keeper. When he went over to Syria to secure twenty men. he would have secured persons who could read instead of securing men at random. It would have been more difficult. perhaps. but it could have been done. Certainly we might not have obtained the full benefit of the educational test in regard to numbers. but. at all events. we should have obtained a better class of immigrants. To my mind the most effective restrictive measure is a head tax. I believe we should impose a large head taxsay. $40. I shall not quarrel over the exact amount. I am simply arguing for real restriction of immigration. and I am willing to yield 1906.� MAiUEH 14. my judgment to that of other gentlemen if thereby a substantial and drastic bill can be secured. If we impose a head tax of $40. we take the profit out of the padrones importation. That sum would be nearly a prohibitive tariff on the article which he imports. If by any chance contract labor should get in after paying that $40 head tax. at all events it must be uncommonly good labor. Even if the law is broken it would necessarily be a good deal better contract labor than we are getting in now. This large head tax must not apply to women. I should apply It only to adult males. I believe it to be a serious moral menace to this country that under present conditions two men are coming here for every woman.