Speech #640066107

Time will enable them. if it has not already done so. to assimilate our ideas. our customis. our habits. and thereby to have ilile proper conceptions of our Government and aill its glorious institutions. My thoughts are directed largely to the future and to the effect of the continued influx of aliens to this country. especially the undesirable. The commissioner general. in his 191.4 report. says: Immigration. judged from the results of the year. has apparently reached the million iark perinanently. In fact. during the year 1914. 1.218.4S0 of them landed here. the year prior. 1913. there camie over 1.197.892. Doubtless as niny would have arrived last year had it not been fortile European war. I believe when this war terminates. if it ever does. that the desirable immigrants will remain at home. wille those that are undesirable. encouraged by steamship companies. will emigrate to Afierica. Hon. Bourke Cockran. in his splendid speech before the coinmittee against this bill. said : It is true [speaking of the immigrant] that lie crowds somnetimes into a great city like New York. and it is also true that in more than one quarter of a great city you can lind a population almost entirely foreign. signs over shops are in foreign characters. the language actually spoken is foreign. the habilhments of the people foreign. of the women especially. among whom that tendency to color so strong in certain European populations Is very pronounced. As you see these aliens leading their lives according to habits that have grown up across the sea yon might well wonder. as you go from one district to another. each inhabited apparently by people differing wholly from the others. if. indeed. there be not here a multitude of races beyond the capacity of even this Nation to digest. In justice to Mr..