Speech #630136166

I have been busily engaged with other matters and up to this time I have taken no part in this discussion. There is just one contention of the opponents of this bill which I want to try to answer. It is their contention that the provisions of this Burnett bill reverses the historic policy of this Government in the matter of immigration. They say that this country for all these years has been the one spot on earth where the oppressed of every clime and country could look with hope. and that we have until now held out open arms to receive them. I want to say. Mr. Chairman. that this Government froni the time of its earliest existence down to now has never passed but one law encouraging immigration. and that was the law passed in 1864 encouraging contract labor. With that one exception the Congress of the United States has never put upon the statute books of this country a single law that has encouraged immigration. It is true that up to 1819 this country took no notice of immigrants at all. They came here as a matter of course. Up to that time we had no policy.