Speech #630424284

Ourl .greatness as a Nation will continually be measured by the .qual-. ity -of -our citizeiuship. and it is .n matter of the gravest concern that our citizenship. which is the source of power. be kept .free -from contamination. It is the !highest function of government to raise the standard of citizenship and see that the averagel -is never lowered. In -what better way. let me inquire. can this be done than by therestriction of ignorance and superstition in our immigration laws? It is estimated that the American people are expending something like $1.000.000.000 annually for education and the eradication of ignorance and the growth of high ideals. and yet �in the face of this stupendous effort many men stand here and plead with Congress to add more ignorance to the shim total of national illiteracy. The chief thought in all our educationis -the instilling of love and respect for our American institutions. It is a wellknown fact that very many of the immigrants who yearly come to our country come primarily because of the desire to .accumulate wealth and not because of a desire to .become a part of us. It is .a question of take all and give nothing in :return. This is evidenced by thefact that thousands of aliens do not take the trouble to fit themselves for American citizens after they :get here. andthousands in our large cities have never fitted themselves to exercise the highest privilege of an American .citizenthat of casting a ballot and participation in government. lany such as these will be eliminated if this bill becomes a law. iand they should be eliminated. It is contended in some quarters that a question so farreaching and involving such a radical departure from our timeworn policies should not be disposed of without first being made a party declaration and then passed on by the American people. While :this may not have been done exactly. it has been made the subject of party declaration in general terms time and time again aud for many years back. As far back as1890 the Democratic national convention platform made the following declaration: We hold that the most efficient way to protect American labor Is t( prevent the importation of foreign pauper labor to compete with it Ii the home market. In that same yearthat is. in 1896the Republican nationa convention platform contained the following declaration: For the protection of the quality of our American citizenship amh of the wages of our workingmen against the fatal competition of low priced labor we demand that the immigration laws be thoroughly en forced and so extended as to exclude from entrance to the United State: those who can neither read nor write. And. as you know. the candidates for President and Vic4 President of the United States nominated upon the platforn containing this declaration were elected. I believe this bill represents the desire and will of the grea body of Americans without regard to party.