Speech #630386037

Our relations with Europe today are much more intimate than those of a resident of New York were with one living in Savannah a century ago. If men come here to do honest work. to be useful members of society. what importance Is there in ascertaining whether they are to remain here for a long or a short time or to determine what they are to do in the future? A number of years ago this subject was discussed before one of the congressional committees. and Judge Bijur. who appeared before it. was asked : " Is it not the fact that a great many of these immigrants come here. work on the subways. aqueducts. and railroads. and after they have saved a sufficient sum of money return to Europe and remain there?.. "Yes." replied Judge Bijur. "I have no doubt that is the case. hot it is also the fact that the subways remain. the aqueducts remain. and the railroads remain here." These immigrants have come. they have worked faithfully. they have given something for what they have received. and they have as much right to use their money as they please and to spend it whereVer they please in supporting themselves and their families as others have to spend their patrimony in riotous living or in paying for groceries or provisions or clothing or for a box at the opera. I have said that some of the immigrants return to the countries whence they came. but the great mass of them come here to live: come with their families . come to establish homes. to become part and parcel of our population. That is true* especially of those who are forced to seek a refuge here. who come here to avail themselves of the right of asylum and to receive that protection which hitherto has always been accorded by our country to political and religious refugees. Are we now to abandon that enlightened policy which has welcomed the oppressed of other lands? Are we now to forget that proud tradition. and say to the unfortunates who are practically driven from their own homes by the denial of the right of conscience. "Although this is the land of liberty and of freedom. you will not be suffered to enter our gates. even though you are a refugee from political and religlos persecution. because. forsooib. in consequence of the oppressive laws and the discriminatory legislation to which you have been subjected in the land of your nativity you were not permitted to learn to read and to write"? That is precisely what the pending bill threatens to do. although the iron hand is clothed with a velvet glove. It is declared in the bill that those who come here " solely" to escape from religious persecution are not to be subjected to the prohibition of the act. " Solely! " If -a rich !mmigrant arrives. he might conscientiously say that he comes solely to escape religious and political persecution. because being possessed of adequate means it would not be necessary for him to work for a living. But the poor man. the Immigrant" of moderate means. who is driven to seek asylum here by the most vile and most oppressive persecution disclosed in the history of the world. as In the case of the Russian and the Roumanian Jew. the Protestant Finns and the Catholic Poles. can not conscientiously say that he comes here " solely" because of persecution. He can not say that he will not seek employment or engage in business. for that would not be the truth. He expects to work.