Speech #620137150

Mr. President. the most recent immigration. that which has been coming since 1882. has been increasingly an immigration from southeastern Europe and isdistinctly different in type and character from that of the old immigration which came previous to 1882 principally from .northwestern Europe. While many of the later immigrants are unskilled laborers. we have to say for them that they are the best of the class from which they come. It is the peasant class. but. as I said before. those coming are the individuals who have thrift and courage and enterprise enough to assume the risk incident to such a change and the making of homes In the New World. They know the law relating to their admission into this country. they study it carefully. and unless they think they are sure to be admitted they do not ordinarily incur the risk of coming. Now. I want to speak briefly regarding the quality of this new immigration. I presume it is not known to everyone that there was no Federal immigration law previou. to 1.882. The old immigration all came in freely. without let or hindrance. but in 1882.the law was passed upon which we have been building ever since. until we have brought it up to its present degree of perfection. I look upon the present law as a good one. much better and more effective than people in general think it. Since 1882 the policy of thd Government has been one of selection. WLile we have admitted aliens from all European countries. we have insisted that they shall be sound of body. sound in mind. and sound in morals. so far as we have been able to do so. -The work of our immigration stations has been to see that this intention was carried into effect. From 1899 to 1909. a period of 10 years. we admitted something over 8.000.000 aliens. Eightytwo and sixtenths per cent of that number were between 14 and 44 years of ageevery one of them at an age to become selfsustaining.