We want men and womenmen and women of character. of principle. people vho are industrious and who are willing to devote their energies to the upbuilding of the country. The gentlemen who are in favor of this test seem to act on the theory that this is a country in which we have the right to be selective. to divide people into groups. and say. " You shall come. and you shall not come" . " you from eastern Europe must be ecluded. we are perfectly williog to take you from western Europe." But that is unAmerican. and that would be Injurious to the best Interests of this country. This is a land of immigrants. Two hundred years ago there were very few people in this country. and all who were here were immigrants at that time. In 1790 there were about three and a half million people in the United States. and a very large percentage of these people were immigrants. We have now grown. in the last 125 years. from 3.500.000 to nearly 100.000.000. and a very large percentage of those are the children of immigrants or immigrants themselves. I also have the proud distinction of being the son of immigrants. and I feel. from my acquaintance with immigrants from my earliest days. which I have continued down to the present moment. that there is no better part of our population than that which has come to this country from foreign lands during the past 60 years. and who are coming day after day. when the spirit moves them to come. and to cast their lot with the welfare of this country. Now. Mr. President. what is there in this literacy test which is of the slightest value. Does it Indicate that because a man can read these cabalistic 30 or 40 lines which are to be presented to him under conditions of excitement and stressthat if the man can read them he is to be admitted. and if he can not read them he is to be rejected? Does that indicate that the man has character. ability. intelligence?
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immigrants literacy test