Speech #630134953

I am not unmindful of the history of our land and of the many men who occupy seats on the floor of this House. I am not unmindful of the fact that they came from an ancestry that has nothing to boast of but their honesty. morality. application. and determination. who left their mothers side and fathers side to seek this land in the hope of the uplift of their children and to be given an opportunity to work out their salvation both temporal and eternal. [Loud applause.] If we must restrict. let us do so in an actual and practical way. Let us restrict on a numerical basis the immigrants comIng into the country. If it is feared that there will be an influx of those whose number will interfere with American industry. American progress. and American return for energy and application. or who will compete unduly with us. let us restrict the number. but when we do not undertake to bar immigration in tote from this ]and of ours. let us not be guilty of adopting a means which strikes at that which is perhaps no fault of those seeking refuge here and may be the outcome of religious or political oppression. We are properly legislating to exclude from our shores the morally unfit. the mentally incapacitated. the physically unclean. the dependent upon American charity. and those whose thoughts and beliefs are counter to government or the maintenance of law and order. Why should we add to this a makeshift. and where the mentally strong and physically perfect. the man of pure heart and good intentionsthe object. perchance. of persecutioli that denied to him an opportunity for educationseeks our land to give the best that is in him to our institutions. strong physical manhood and a pure heart. deny him the opportunity and continue the work directed against him in his native land? Make positive and immediate enforcement of the law against the alien who has had permission to enter the country and inveighs against our institutions and our principles should be our motto. Very frequently lie is the educated man who could meet the requirement of this bill. I believe the best is not too good for American citizenship. but do not let us by Indirection do something that we should not do. and if immigration is to be restricted. if there are too many coming here. let us restrict upon a mathematical calculation and based upon a sound foundation.