I can not support an amendment which has for its object the elimination of the literacy test. I have voted in favor of the amendments offered by the Senator from Colorado and the Senator from New York . because they stated a principle with which I am in accord. a principle which has been observed by our Government since its creation. namely. that this land may be the home of those moral. healthy. normal men and women. without regard to their education. who have fled here from their native countries to escape religious or political persecution. Our forefathers belonged to that class. The bill recognizes the justice of making an exception in behalf of victims of religious persecution. and I can see no reasons which plead for them that are not equally effective in behalf of political or racial refugees from persecution. I believe in restricting immigration. We have been receiving more immigrants than we have beneficially assimilated. The literacy test will not insure all desirable imlmigrauts. it will not exclude all undesirable aliens. but with the other qualifications included in the bill it will lessen materially the number of immigrants who are undesirable. I shall not discuss the harmful effects of our immigration upon American labor. That phase of the subject has been fully presented. Indeed.
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immigrants immigration undesirable aliens refugees literacy test