Speech #630424209

On the cordfer of almost every street in any city of the world can be found persons who. will help another learn his letters and to read 40 simple words. I am sick of hearing people talk about poor. lazy mortals. covered with dirt and scurvy. never having had an opportunity in the world. The man who has not had an opportunity to learn to read 40. simple words in. his mother tongue. has never heard of the United States. and should he by chance wander onto a ship. coming to these ample shores. would be excluded from landing by the immigration authority under the- present law on the ground that he was an idiot. I do not say all who can. not read in their own language are idiots. but I do say all who have not had an Opportunity to do so are of unsound mind. I freely. admit there are thousands of good people in the world who cam not now meet the. educational test of this bill. but I claim It would be no unreasonable hardship while earning sufficient money with which to pay traveling expenses here to employ an hour or two each evening for a couple of months learning enough to meet this educational test. . Certain animals when born have not the power of sight.. but nature has ordained that such shall not wander from the parental nest until they can see This bill provides that prospective immigrants must stay at home until through their intelectual eyes. they begin. to discern at least some rays of light. It is better they remain at home during the black hours of intellectual night in a monarchical form of government where others see and think for them. in a government they can not harm. than to come to this Republic. where enlightenment is the watchword and where all are equal. Ignorance is the greatest enemy of a republican formr of government.