Speech #590161977

I want to come to the question whether or not it does it. because if I am mistaken about it. all right. I want to see whether I am right or not. and I ask the candid consideration of Senators to what I am about to submit to them. Under the South Carolina plan. as we will call it. it has been ruled by the Department that it is competent for a State to appoint a commissioner on immigration. who shall set forth. by advertisement and circulars. or in any other way. or on personal solicitation. or through the agency of others.- as was done in this case. in different cities. the advantages to immigrants who might be induced to go to the State of South Carolinathe climate. the soil. the characterof the productions. the character of the people. the character of the industries. the wages to be paid. the demand for laborthat that is all legitimate for him to do. and that he may solicit them and try to persuade them to go in the light of such inducements to the State of South Carolina. not under contract labor. as I shall endeavor to show. and. further. that it is perfectly legitimate for that commissioner not simply to use State funds. as asked by the junior Senator from South Carolina . but to use funds which may be furnished to him by an association of individuals who may be impressed with the importance to the industries of a State to have immigrants come to it. and that when he does so. it being legitimate. there can be no interference with the coming in of those immigrants. That is the ruling. and that is the situation. Now. you will mark that there are two questions which can be presented. One is whether a commissioner in so doing would be a violator of law and could be proceeded against. That was the question which was raised upon which this rulingof the Depaitment was made. as to whether or not he had violated the law. and further as to whether the persons who came in could be deported. Another question. however. could have been raised before that by a commissioner dr representative of the Government as to the right of these people to land. Air. President. this bill is a most adroit attempt to absolutely nullify the law as it now exists. so far as it gives opportunity for any other importation of immigrants in the manner pursued by the State of South Carolina. It matters not if the commissioner has not violated the law. it matters not that he can not be proceeded against. if it be true that the immigrant can be met at the wharf and told. "You shall not land." Then the law is as perfectly null and void as if it were said that the commissioner had no right to go abroad and solicit immigrants to come in. Is there any possible issue which can be made upon the correctness of that proposition? I say that this proposed law seeks to nullify that provision of the existing law in exactly that way. by prohibiting the immigrant from landing. and I say it is most adroitly inserted in this bill. Now. let me read it. I will read the law as it stands and the provision that has been ingrafted upon it at page 18.