Speech #640066061

I know the story of the many brave and brilliant men of southern Europe. But I can not but feel that the people of northern and western Europe have demonstrated to a mucl greater degree their capacity for selfgovernment and the ability to control themselves at such times when a more hotblooded race would have plunged into revolution. I am satisfiedl in ly own mind that the admission of countless thousands of immigrants into our country from southern Europe and oriental countries is a dangerremote. perhaps. but no less certainto the life of our Government. It is revolution within. not danger from without. that will be the everpresent menace to our country. The congenial assilnilation of races so different in temperament and traditions as those of southern Europe and oriental countries with the races of northern and western Europe is a practical impossibility. even in this land of freedom. Tile former. lacking in comprehension of the true spirit of our institutions. can not be elevated to tile true standard of American citizenship by assimillation. but the tendency would be to proportionately lower the present standard. The incentive which brings these people to our shores is different from tile incentive which caused the migration of northern and western Europeans to our country. With perhaps some exception the immigrants we seek to bar from our shores do not come here with the avowed purpose oC making this their permanent abiding place. bfit for tile time being to take advantage of the greater opportunities here afforded to earn and save some money and later on to return to their native land. there to spend their declining years in coalparative comfort on the small fortune accumulated here. They do not come with any clear understanding of the meaning and purpose of our Government. nor do they join with patriotic impulse in the hopes and aspirations of our people. they simply come to labor for the gold given as a recompense. never realizing tile true sentiment of American citizenship. Strangely different were the feelings of the men of northern and western Europe. who. perhaps. possessed as great a love for native hind. gave it up when they landed on our shores. and not only entered Into the labor necessary to carve out for themselves homnes here but they enter into the spirit of our political institutions. and. as soon as possible. under our laws. swore allegiance to our flag. and with joyous hearts sang in unison with nativebrn Americans "My country. tis of thee." and so forth. More than this. when revolution threatened our countrys existence these men rallied around the old flag. and no braver defenders did it have than the sons of Erin who followed the banner o Sheridan and Birney r.nd brave Phil Kearney. and the Scots. under McPherson. McArthur. and others. and the Germans who fought with Sigel. who after a hard days battle in defense of on: flag could be heard around their camp fire singing the songs of the fatherland. Thus was our country made strong and mighty by these classes of immigrants. But it is no argument. because this is true. that we should have unrestricted immigration into ou r country. Much of the criticism of this bill is directed against that provision which provides for a literacy test. alleging that this is an unreasonable and indefensible provision. that it will irmit the educated criminal to come in but will bar out the honest. industrious illiterate. I do not contend that illiteracy necessarily makes one a bad citizen. but I do contend that in a country such as ours the safety of the Government depends upon tile intelligence of the people. To my minl it is not an unreasonable requirement to ask of those coming from foreign lands seeking all the privileges and opportunities of American citizenship.