Speech #630132168

I will be glad also to answer any question that any gentleman may desire to ask. As to the suggestion about the number that go to the farm under the present economic conditions of this country. I will state that there is a great difficulty in diverting the incoming imnmigrants to the agricultural sections of the count]y. but making the point of this dificulty is begging the question. because if our social conditions are such. and if our economic conditions are such. and if our laws are such as to cause ai unhealthy congestion in the cities of the country. the fault is ours and not the fault of the incoming immigrants. It belittles the intelligence and patriotism of this Congress if it has not the capacity to grapple with those great social and economic questions in a way that will solve themn rightly and divert to the agricultural sections of the country the great streams of immigration which constantly flow ill our direction and -to our already congested centers. It would be well for the country if we had such intelligence and skill here as legislators as would bring about a change in our unhealthy economic conditions. a change in our methods of distribution. a change in our laws and social affairs so that the incoming immigrants. instead of congregating in great centers as they do now. to the hazard and jeopardy of all the people. would go out on the land and cultivate the land and produce crops for the hungry mouths of our Nation. That is what we need. Instead of the blind and narrow point of view as expressed by the literacy test in this bill. the statesmanlike point of view of it would be to admit freely the humble toilers from the land of Europe who com here and are capable of assimilating with our people and who are sound in body and mind and to place them where they can live their lives for the betterment of themselves and their families and for til general upbuilding of the wealth of this Nation. That would be statesmanship. and when laoruniou leaders take the narrow point of view that they can not better their condition as laborunion men except by putting ain artificial restriction on the incoming immigrants. and when they fail to take into consideration the legislation necessary to change the laws which l:1ve been passed in this Capitol and which have permitted the intolerable monopolies of this country to grow. and when they fail to realize the need of controlling absolutely the great laws of taxation like railroad freight rates. which are nothing but transportation taxes. ind the gambling in wheat and cottQn. and stock waltering and manipulation. and all that which tends to the congestion of money. mnd consequently people also. and immigrants as well. in ti.. great centerswhen they fail to grasp the larger issues. it is natural for them to make too much of the narrow point of view and become blind to their own best interests. Now. I say this with perfect respect.