Speech #620291712

F. B. Morse. in drawing a comparison between what was then the previous immigration and that of the dty the writer lived in. contained this statement: Then we were few. feeble. and scattered. Now we are numerous. strong. and concentrated. Then our accessions of immigration were real accessions of strength from the ranks of the learned and the good. from enlightened mechanic and artisan and Intelligent husbandman. Now. Immigration is the accession of weakness. from the ignorant and vicious. or the priestridden slaves of Ireland and Germany. or the outcast tenants of the poorhouses and prisons of Europe. But immigration still continued to grow. and very luckily for the country. The Civil War broke out. and the patriotism of the foreignborn citizen was put to the supreme test. The test. however. was not literacy but loyalty. The recruiting officers carried no slips containing 40 words. The only requirement was whether he would fight for "liberty and union." and how well he proved his devotion to this doctrine needs no eulogy from me. although I may take occasion to remark that his achievements during the conflict effectually silenced the carping of his critics. The immigrant of today would. if put to the same trial. rovc equally worthy as his predecessor. : Abraham Lincoln realized the need and the value of immigration. HiS message to Congress of December 0. 1864. contained this recommendation: I regard our immigrants as one of the principal replenishing streams whicl are appointed by Providence to repair the ravages of internal war and its waste of national strength and health. All that is necessary Is to secure tlie flow of that stream In its present fullness. and to that end the Government must in every way make it manifest that It neither needs nor designs to Impose Involuntary military service upon those who come from other lands to cast their lot in our country. As a result of this friendly and wisely foreseeing policy the E eriod which has elapsed since the close of the Civil War has een specially characterized by immigration. and this period has also been the most glorious in our economic history. It has been notable for gigantic strides and progress in all the arts and industries. It has at the same time been distinguished for high wages and national prosperity. Immigrant industry constructed our railroads. opened our mines. leveled our forests. toiled in our mills and factories. in our shops and on our farms. and kept the furnaces of production burning and the wheels of industry turning. The gentleman from Texas . when confronted with this undeniable record. graciously admitted the truth of it. but said we ought to leave some of these railroads and mines to be developed by our descendants. It is fortunate for the gentleman. so far as his convenience is concerned. that those who lived before him did not adopt his sagacious view of waiting until the railroads would be built by the then native labor. for If they had I am afraid the gentleman in coming to this Capitol to discharge his duties as a Representative would be compelled to travel from Texas to Washington on horseback. The gentleman from Kentucky gives us a specimen of a similar kind of logic used in advocating this bill. He regrets that about 75 per cent of the operatives engaged In the woolen business are immigrants or their descendants and that there Is a great percentage of immigrant labor employed in other industries. Does it never occur to the gentleman that when these people are working they are heaping up and have heaped up a wealth cornered and monopolized. not by immigrants. but by keen and shrewd Americans of long residence in this country? When the gentleman from Massachusetts stands up and with a willingness amounting almost to flippancy gives his assent and voices his perfect satisfaction at being numbered among those who are In favor of this measure. he forgets that the mills and manufactories of Massachusetts. his own State. are a standing protest against his action and an eloquent tribute to the industry and effectiveness of immigrants and their descendants. Now. what does this bill provide. It excludesAll aliens over 16 years of age. physically capable of reading. who can not read the English language or some other language or dialect. including Hebrew or Tiddish. In other words. it makes education the standard and measure of good citizenship. It would close the gates of the country to he moral and industrious immigrant who has been denied the opportunity of education at home. whose vigorous body would add value to the countrys power of production. but open them wide to the idle and worthless but somewhat educated foreigner whose presence here is unnecessary and whose purpose is often to stir up agitation against the Government. On this point let me read a most pertinent editorial taken from the Jersey Journal. of New Jersey. issue of May 11. 1912. It says: