Speech #640039457

In the hearings before the committee appeared Miss Grace Abbott. of Chicago. than whom no woman is doing greater service in behalf of the United States. Miss Abbott gives her entire time. her entire devoted time. to the welfare of the imigrants. She is herself of Puritan stock. of old American lineage. and a Protestant in religion. and this is what she said on page 6 of the hearings of January 20: I think many people oppose the recent immigration becanse it is Catholic and Jewish instead of Protestant. as the earlier was. I am neither Catholic nor Jewish. This bill is drawn. or attempted to be drawn. s0 as to affect almost alone the Catholic people . and I. being a Protestant. and of old American lineage. so far as old American lineage goes. can afford to say that. for the same reason I liat prompts Miss Abbott to say It. because both she and I believe in the old American principle of religious freedom and the right of a man to worship or to refrain from worshiping. according to the dictates of his own conscience. I can demonstrate in two ways that this bill is ailedwhether intentionally or not I am not saying at time moment. but when a bill has been reported in five or six Congresses in succession. you have almost a right to assume that those who report it know what they are doingthat this bill is aimed at immigrants who are Catholics. When the gentleman from Massachusetts rMr. GARDINER] Was on the committee there never Were any " ifs" or " ands" about him. He called a spade a spade. and in his report which accompanied the bill in the Fiftyninth Congress he furnished the percentages of people who would be affected by the literacy test. the main thing in the bill. and here they are. Incidentally. for the first time I think in the history of this legislation. although I may be in error about that. Ihis particular inforination is not in the report connected with this years bill.