Session #63 · 1913–15

Speech #630424278

I would not pass any law in this country to compel Lord & Taylor. of New York. to go to Europe to manufacture an article for which they would pay the cheaper labor in Europe and then sell it back here free of duty. to come into competition with their competitor who employs American labor. which will thereby be reduced to the wages paid by Lord & Taylor in Europe. I was pleased and edified. as every Member of this House was edified. with the argument of my friend from New Hampshire . I wish every man on either side of this Chamber would be as frank as that gentleman was when he said. "I have not come to the place where I believe that the Nation ought to enter upon a policy of limiting immigration." Why does not the rest of the opposition take that position? You talk about objecting to this bill because of the literacy test or other items. The facts are. you object to it because you oppose restriction.- No matter what be the item. you are against the limitation of immigration at all. and that is the issue we now have here to meet. I say to you that the gentleman from New Hampshire has taken the only legitimate position on that side of the question. namely. that we do not want to limit or restrict immigration at all. But I say to you that we do want to limit and restrict immigration. we must meet this issue. and we should do it now. That is a policy that we must enter upon. It is no argument to say that the mothers of great sons in the past never went to school. were illiterate. and therefore you would crowd out some of the greatest and most useful people in the world by this literacy test. Yes. it is true. But. in the beginning. with no common schools and no colleges open to every boy and girl as today..with the doors swinging open both ways. many people grew up without education and became splendid citizens.
Keywords matched
immigration literacy test

Classification

Target group
Sentiment
Negative
Stereotyping
No
Confidence
95%
Model
gemini-2.0-flash
Framing
Legal / procedural Economic threat

Speaker & context

Speaker
SIMEON FESS
Party
R
Chamber
H
State
OH
Gender
M
Date
Speech ID
630424278
Paragraph
#0
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