Speech #640212583

Mr. President. it will not require twothirds of the Senate to take up the immigration bill. and if.I were in charge of that bill. which I am not. I certainly slould move to take it up and displace the present unfinished business. because I think It is a bill of infinitely greater consequence than the one now under consideration to the people of this country. It is of infinitely greater consequence to the morality and intellectual probity of the people who go to the polls and cast their votes in these United States. The idea of admitting from a quarter of a million to a million people from the slumns of southern Europe every year. aind not requiring them to have intelligence enough to read a single line in any languageand that is all we requireis an insult to the intelligence of the Congress of tie United States when they refuse to pass that bill. So. I say. if the Senator from Oklahoma wants to purify the electorate of this country. if lie wants to inprove the quality of the men who make laws in this country. lie ought to give his conisent and his willing support to passing an Immigration law which requires that wien men come. most of them ignorant and many of them vicious. to the United States from the slums of southern Europe. they ought at least to show some degree of intelligence before they are permitted to cast their ballots to elect Presidents. Senators. Representatives in Congress. and other officials. I again say. Mr. IPresident. that what we ought to be com1 sidering. and whtat we ought to have been considering during the last three or fourl days. if not before. is the immigration I