Speech #630133663

Mr. Chairman. two principles above others In the theory and principle of our Government. it is that it is an asylum to protect every creed and faith. and along with that is the doctrine that every creed and every religious faith shall keep its hands out of the reasury and no church or creed shall be favored by governmental administration. This provision of my amendment is merely to change the verbiage of the bill submitted by the committee in tLis. that the committees provision would leave much in the discretion of the immigration officer. Certainly in matters of religion as little discretion as possible should be permitted in an officer who may himself have religious prejudices. This provision. if construed in the light of the committees intention. would admit to this country the Jews. the Mennonites. and the Armenians. I for one do not want any immigration officer to possess a discretion whether those people shall be admitted. I regret that in the discussion of this bill mtch religious feeling has been attempted to be used both for and against it. All that we as legislators should have to do with religion or that we should consider is its effect upon civilization. and under that we might include as wholesome to civilization every Christian creed or sect or church. and we must also include Judaism and the doctrines of Zoroaster.