Speech #630132258

I have enthusiasm and optimism. and I do not think we have reached the limit of development. but if the gentleman will reflect perhaps lie will reach the conclusion that we have not reached the limit of development. They referred a short time ago to th. United Mine Workers. and I tell you frankly that I am afraid some young IrishAmericans believe in restriction. but I can not understand how any man familiar with the history of his people. of his State. like Massachusetts. can give his assent to anything that means a further restriction of immigration. for it is simply establishing the same argument against the downtrodden of other countriesthe same charges that were made against the Irish along in 1850 and 1860. I wish I had the time to refer at length to the things that are now being done in some of these countries. I have obtained from the Department of the Interior. the Bureau of Education. an account of what has teen accomplished .in the last five years in the way of education of these persons affected by this legislation. This report shows that during the last 5 or 10 years measures for extending and improving the means of popular education have engaged the earnest efforts of the Governments of Italy and southern Europe during the past decade. Of course. the men and women who have grown lip and who may now be trying to come here can not read and write. They can not comply with the provisions of this harsh literacy test. but the children of those men and womei" who are for the first time getting the opportunities that were denied to their fathers and mothers in a very short time will be able to comply with your education test. and I say it is a fallacious test. it Is an unAmerican test. and an undemocratic test. It is a test that will not do the things in the way of restriction that you and your friends in favor of this bill claim it will do. You are trying to draw the inference that those of us who are opposed to the education test. the literacy test. so called. are in favor of letting down the bars and letting anybody come in. That is a trick of their debate. because these gentlemen know that there are already 20 causes for exclusion of men and women who may be seeking to come in through the immigration ports. Let me read to you some of the causes that are referred to in the immigration bulletin for November. which the gentleman from Alabama referred to in his remarks. idiots. imbeciles. and feebleminded people are already excludable. and of course no one of us denies that that class of aliens should be excluded. Mr. Chairman. persons afflicted with insanity and disease and those who are epileptics are excluded.