Speech #630173279

I want to repeat in this connection what I said in the House of Representatives more than six years ago: Far be it from me. Mr. Chairman. to raise my voice against the kind of immigration which helped and today is helping to make this country the wonder of the world. Let us welcome those who join us in the great work In which. under the providence of the Almighty. this Nation is engaged. Let all who will enter who earnestly prize the boon of American citizenship. whose labor. in whatever field. will make for the progress of our people and the greatness of our Republic. We have room here for many more millions of this kind. But let us put up the bars against the great hordes that come for what spoil they may find. and whose coming can but serve to make harder the lot and heavier the burden of the American workingman. As I have already pointed out. the Times editorial seeks to leave the Impression that I am complaining because what he terms the " Kentucky boycott" is keeping the immigration from southwestern Europe out of Kentucky. Fortunately. I am on record on that question. In discussing the subject of imumigration in the House of Representatives on January 20. 190S (see p. 15S9 of the CONcESSIONA RECORD of that session) I used this language: We have not done enough as yet In the way of restricting immigration. Other measures must be devised to check this Influx of undesirable people. Something more will have to be done to keep the pauper labor of other countries from invading this country. The Government has in its possession irrefutable proof that the invasion of the country by the hordes of unskilled and illiterate denizens of southern Europe is encouraged by their respective Governments. and in almost every instance the object of such classes is to accumulate all they can and return to their native land. but under no circumstances to acquire American citizenship. Mr. Speaker. if the editor of the Times does not know it. he voted in favor of restricting immigration every time this body has voted on it since I have been a Member of it. I voted for the Burnett bill In the last Congress. and I voted to pass it over President Tafts veto. I voted for the Burnett bill which recently passed the present Iouse and which will shortly pass the Senate. according to present Indications. and if President Wilson vetoes it. as current report has it that he will. I shall vote to pass it over his veto. I repeat that it must be conceded that the literacy test will work a hardship in some instances. but these will be nothing to compare with the hardships that will be spared our own people by its adoption. If there were a better test that would accomplish the desired result. so essential to the preservation of our standard of citizenship. I should be glad to vote for it as a substitute. but those who have made an exhaustive study of the whole situation say that none other is practicable. and I agree with them.