Speech #620269311

I shall. however. Vote for the bill as reported by the Committee on Tmmigration. not because I consider it ideal legislation. but because. under existing conditions. it is at least worthy of a trial. No one has greater confidence than I in the efficacy of free institutions in the preparation of the mind and the molding of the character of immigrants for the honest and intelligent discharge of the duties of citizenship under a republican form of government. My firm belief in the good intentions of the great majority of mankind. our experience as a people. my own personal observation. all fortify and strengthen my faith in the marvelous efficiency of the air and the institutions of liberty in the evolution of a patriotic and useful citizenship from seemingly crude and ofttimes doubtful material. We must all admit. however. that there is a limit to the capacity of even the best of free institutions and the widest of opportunities to assimilate and harmonize with our ideas and ideals those who. through no fault of their own. perhaps. yet none the less clearly. are lacking in the information anl training which all admit are so essential to the intelligent exercise of the duties and responsibilities of our citizenship. The question before us is. therefore. Have we in the recent past. and are we likely in the future. with no further restriction of immigration than we now have. to receive a tide of unprepared immigration in excess of our capacity to train. prepare. and assimilate into useful citizenship? Our opinion on this question must be formed in the light of the unfortunate fact that the burden of the assimilation of uneducated immigration is not distributed anything like equally over our entire area or population. If it were. I for one should doubt the necessity or advisability of further restriction. It falls largely on a limited number of communities. mostly in large cities and populous industrial centers. These ofttimes fail to afford the immigrant that contact with the body of our native or thoroughly amalgamated foreignborn population. or opportunity for instruction in or familarity with our institutions. which all admit are essential to his preparation for his future responsibilities. I freely admit that the educational test is not an ideal one. that it will not exclude the educated knave. or incompetent. and that it will exclude some ignorant but honest and competent people whom we would gladly welcome to our shores. But no test can be devised which will search mens hearts and reveal their intentions. This test will at least reduce the number of those who are. by reason of their inability to read. handicapped in securing the knowledge that they should have of our institutions. It- will diminish the number of thbose who. while thenselves gener:mlly well meaning. are oftentimes the instruments and frequently the victins of the vicious and designing. the criminal and the trouble taker. both native and foreign born. If our experiences under a law such as this shall prove unsatisfactory and fail to provide the results expected. it can be repealed. It is altogether possible that such a restriction as this may have a stimulating effect on the intending immigrant in the pursuit of the limited educational requirement of the law. If such is the effect. that fact alone will largely justify its enactment. At any rate it will tend to challenge attention to the value of the opportunities which our land ind institutions afford. After the lapse of the brief period necessary to enable the intending immigrant to inform and prepare himself. the reading test will exclude few. if any. who possess the ambition and determination which form a part of the equipment of those we invite to share with us the opportunities and blessings of liberty under law.