Speech #590092336

I think I know the people of my State well enough to say that they would rather move .along handicapped as they are in the development of their great resources by inadequate labor than to see injected into our population the element that I have described and who constitute today such a large per cent of the slum population of the great cities of the country and foment trouble and discord wherever they go. I have ca nvassed this thing thoroughly with the people of my State. During the last eighteen months .1 have agitated in North Carolina in favor of immigration to the State. With this end in view. I introduced a bill in the last Congress almost identical with the provisions which are incorporated in the present bill. providing for a bureau of display and information at Ellis Island. with a view to give the agents of the States access to the immigrants as they land at that island. I have gone before the people of my State. and I have said. "You have to supply this demand for more labor from outside of the State. There is difficulty in getting it here in the United States. The main chance and the best chance is across the water. Let us go after XL457 them." Whenever I have said It and wherever I have said It.. I have been metlwith the answer. "That is all right. provided there is due discrimination in the selection between the immigrants from northern and western and those from southern and eastern Europe who are coming to this country. but we do not. want the ignorant and vicious and undesirable. the scum and riffraff of Europe. dumped upon us." I know they do not want and will not have. if they can prevent it. the Poles. Hungarians.. Syrians. and that class of Italians which constitute so large a part of the immigration to this country today. Mr. President.