Speech #600006382

Does not the skilled mechanic fiud his field of employment furnished for him by the commen laborer? Is it not the experience of every man In every great city that the pavements of streets are laid. the sewers that drain the refuse are built. the foundations of buildings are dug by foreign laborers. while Americans are employed In the higher form of industry where rewards are more liberal and hours of labor shorter? When any gentleman here professes to apprehend that the future prosperity of American labor is threatened or imperiled by immigration. I say most respectfully he misapprehends the economic conditions that govern production. Were I convinced or did I deem it possible that the apprehensions of tile gentleman from Alabama or of the gentleman from Iowa were well founded. I would vote to close the doors now and forever against all immigrants. I concede. Mr. Chairman. that our duty here is only and solely to our own people. The question whether we shall admit or exclude imnigrants should be decided not by the results to aliens who may be anxious to come here. but by the results to men and women who are here now and who constitute our population. I welcome this tide of immigration. because I believe there is nothing that can enter our ports so valuable to us as a pair of human hands eager and anxious to engage in labor upon our soil [applause]. to increase the volume of commodities available for you and for me. to widen the field of production �in which highly paid American laborers can find employment. Because I am firmly convinced this is the economic result of immigration I have felt bound to rise and submit these remarks il answer to the assertion of the gentleman from Alabama and of the gentleman from Iowa that every laborer admitted to the country gains his bread not by serving his fellows. increasing their opportunities of employnent. thus stimlulating the rate of wages. but by competing vigorously if not ruinously with the American worker. Before concluding I should add of course that I realize this question of immigration is not properly issuablp here. Whatever the gentleman from Iowa may think about that general question. he surely must concur in the suggestion of the gentleman from Alabama that so long as inmigrants are admitted their arrival should not be inade discreditable to us by barbarity or inhumanity on the ]part of this nation. If we dont wish to admit them. let us exercise the power which this lawmaking body enjoys. and prohibit directly and specifically their landing.