Speech #590120331

No one will contend that there is not room here for many. many times our present population. As was so pertinently stated a moment ago by my genial friend from Missouri . "you could move all of the people of the United States into the one State of Texas and then Texas would not be as densely populated as Germany is today." It is admitted by all that we are but at the beginning of the development of the agricultural and mineral resources of this wonderful land. not to speak of the infinite possibilities of our industrial growth and expansion. Then why all this agitation and turmoil in favor of restricting immigration? If there are defects in the present law because of which the undesirable classes are obtaining admission I will gladly cooperate with my distinguished friend from Massachusetts in remedying these defects. Now. what of our present law? Under its terms we now exclude contract laborers. as they should be excluded. and I welcome the fact that the bill under consideration. which is in charge of the gentleman from Massachusetts. very properly strengthens the present law so as to more rigidly exclude this class and will enable us to enforce this provision of the law better than heretofore has been done. Every Democrat here stands ready to aid the gentleman from Massachusetts in this effort. The present law also excludes in addition to contract laborers all paupers. or persons likely to become public charges. all epileptics. idiots. and insane persons. all polygamists. persons convicted of crime. and anarchists. and this bill amends the present law. and I heartily approve the amendment. enlarging the excluded classes so as to embrace the feebleminded. consumptives. and people who have been at any time insane. Now. what else is wanted? Will some one tell me what other class should be excluded? The gentleman from Massachusetts answers that we do not want the unintelligent. We do not want the unintelligent! Why. gentlemen of the committee. is there a necessity to stimulate immigration to this country in order to recruit the professional class? Do we need more doctors and lawyers? We have too many of them now. Do we want to stimulate immigration in order to bring to us more teachers? We all know that at this time there is a dozen applicants for every vacancy that occurs in our teaching force. whether in common school or university. Surely we do not need more skilled laborers. because it is a fact familiar to us all that the labor organizations in this country at this time are limiting the number of apprentices in order to limit the number of skilled laborers. Yet. Mr. Chairman. no person will deny that from one end of this country to the other there is need of a certain class of immigrants. Then in Gods name what class is it that is wanted? I will tell you: Our country needs those who will work with their two hands.