Even here. sir. absolute equality of rights Is of recent establishment. We have established equality. and we are maintaining it triumphantly. but how have we succeeded in doing it? Because these immigrants. hastening here in such numbers. have been to us what the Helots were to ancient Sparta. The Helots of old won admission .to Spartan citizenship by service in the field of battle. These immigrants for the last sixty years have been winning for themselves and their children admission to our citizenship by service in the field of industry. The effect of this bill will he to substitute for service in the field of industry. as the condition of naturalization. knowledge of a language. a mere facility or glibness of speech. which is not necessarily proof of merit in its possessor and of no possible advantage to the community of which he is a part I ask this House not to change our system of naturalization from the foundations on which it has rested securelygloriouslyfor the past century. For a hundred years we have prospered beyond all experience or parallel. No damage has ever come to us through the liberality of our naturalization laws. Gentlemen eager to suggest a danger have been compelled to locate it in Jerusalem. I can assure them the effect of this legislation will be to establish a real peril closer home.
Keywords matched
immigrants naturalization