Speech #630132262

And from the other side it is equally bad. The power to determine the tremendous issue of admission or exclusion is lodged witil an lannigrant inspector without possible oversight or curb against favoritism. incompetence. or prejudice. If the inspector desires. he can arbitrarily find that the immigrant can not meet the test. If he is not satisfied with the pronunciation. the inflection. or the emphasis of the applicant. he can exclude. There is nO time for protest. There is no right of appeal. At the mere whim of an inspector who may be dissatisfied with the appearance or manner of an applicant he may be deported. and there is no. possible remedy. This is so manifestly unAmerican that I can not believe gentlemen who favor this legislation can have carefully considered it. The provision is an invitation to injustice. It is an encouragement to the e:.ercise of oppressive and arbitrary power. There is not placed such an awful responsibility and power in the hands of an underpaid and untrained employee by any other civilized government of the world. It must be evident that the imposition of the literacy test means putting into the hands of the administration. whatever it may be. the power to carry out its purpose. whatever that may be. Inevitably that will tend to favoritism and make the Immigration Bureau a political machine. The test will mean whatever those charged with the administration of the bureau shall choose to make it mean. It is well known that in execution the literacy tests relating to the right of franchise operate as an instrument to preserve the power of the dominant party. There is no pretense of impartial administration. It is a dangerous power to intrust to anybody. and it will tend inevitably to corrupt and debauch the service.