Speech #610103421

Theodore A. Bingham. police commissioner of New York City. published in the Cincinnati Inquirer June 20. 1907. couched in modest and discreet language. yet reciting a condition that ought to arrest our attention: There is another very important thing about this crime business. I dont want to say anything that would be indiscreet. but unquestionably the hordes of immigrants that are coming here have a great deal to do with crimes against women and children. You will notice that these particular crimes are done by fellows who cant talk the English language. It is this wave of immigration that brings to New York the hundreds of thousands of criminals who dont know what liberty means. and dont care. dont know our customs. can not speak the English language. and are in general the scum of Europe. The solution of the problem is to prohibit immigration. President Theodore Roosevelt said in his annual message to Congress in December. 1905: The question of immigration is of vital interest to this country. In the year ending June 30. 1905. there came to the United States 1.020.000 alien immigrants. Moreover. a considerable proportion of It. probably a very large proportion. including most of the undesirable class. does not come here of its own initiative. but because of the activities of agents of transportation companies. These agents are distributed throughout Europe. and by offer of all kinds of Inducements they wheedle and cajole many immigrants. often against their own interests. to come here. The most serious obstacle we have to encounter In the effort to secure proper regulation of immigration to these shores arises from the detrimental opposition of foreign steamship lines. who have no interest whatever in the matter save to Increase the returns on their capital by carrying masses of Immigration hither in the steerage of their ships. How prophetic were the words of our martyred President McKinley. whose assassins family would have never been allowed to enter this country had there been on the statute books such an illiteracy test as South African and Australian countries have. I read from President McKinleys inaugural address of March 4. 1897: Our naturalization and immigration laws should be further Improved to the constant promotion of a safe. a better. and a higher citizenship. A grave peril to the Republic would be a citizenship too ignorant to understand or too vicious to appreciate the great value and beneficences of our institutions and laws. and against all who come here to war upon them the gates must be promptly and tightly closed. Illiteracy must be banished from the land If we shall attain that high destiny as the foremost of the enlightened nations of the world which under Providence we ought to achieve. As showing the attitude of the farmers of the country. the following resolution. which is typical of many that have been passed recently by various patriotic and other associations and societies. will be of interest: Resolved. That the Farmers Educational and Cooperative Union of America in national convention assembled at Memphis. Tenn.. this 8th day of Yanuary. 1908. and representing 2.000.000 farmers. urge upon Congress the immediate abolition of the federal bureau of distribution and the speedy enactment of laws substantially excluding the present enormous alien influx. by means of an increased head tax. a money requirement. the illiteracy test. and other measures. and that we call upon our public. and especially our state. officials to prevent the agricultural sections from becoming a dumping ground for foreign immigration.