Speech #630424040

LOunie. Mr. President. as I heard some of the arguments here this morning it reminded me of the history of immigration as it has been discussed for the last 100 years. Away back in 1814. arguments were advanced for the restriction and exclusion of immigration. similar to those that have been advanced here today. Had those arguments been Listened to and those ideas translated into law. what would the development of this country have been today? The first speaker asked the question. Do we want to Russianize the people over here? I say. " No " . and the fact that we do not want to Russianize the people over here is the reason that we are opposed to the literacy test. What does Russianize mean? It means autocratic officialdom. tyranny. and everything that is bad in public life. Now. what does this principle of a literacy test. reduced to its lowest terms. mean? It means that a man subjects himself to examination by one official. Is there any standard by which this official can say whether the immigrant can read well or badly enough to admit him or to deport him? It is left entirely to his discretion. to his whim. to his caprice. and it is for this reason among. others. that we are opposed to this unAmerican principle ol oneman power. to be able to decide whether a man is able to read well enough to come in here. we are absolutely opposed to this literacy test. The gentleman tells you that the Farmers Union is in favor of the literacy test. Why should they be? We know that it Is for the interest of the United States of America to get as many of our immigrants out on the farms as Is possible. to develop our agricultural resources. Secretary Nagel. In his letter to exPresident Taft. upon which exPresident Tafts veto was based. made a clear and careful study of the immigrants relation toward the agricultural problem . and in that letter he says that it is these illiterate immigrants who have been coming here in the last 15 or 20 years who are greatly reclaiming the abandoned farm lands of the West and of New England. Representative GALLIVAN. Mr.