Mr. Speaker. the eyes of the Nation are centered on what we are about to do here today. Four times the immigration bill with its illiteracy test has been vetoed by our Presidents who have been electednbt by one State but by the people of the entire country. The press of the United States as shown by its editorials is in favor of sustaining the veto of President Wilson. The leading Democratic newspaper. the - New York World. in a short editorial on January 30. expressed itself as follows: President Wilsons veto of the immigration bill was expected. his reasons for that action were prophetically understood. when the. measure was passed In Congress. A broken and bloodstained Europe will have after the war few men to spare from tasks of restoration. In any case. no man is proved unfit for American citizenship by the fact that he Is ambitious enough for his children to leave a land that neglected to give hin an education. Later. I slall read extracts from other leading newspapers which have taken the same view. The Merchants Association of New York. the Republican County Committee of the County. of New.York. the New York Produce Exchange and a large numller of other eminent bodies and educators of the land have expressed themselves in oppbsition to the ininigration bill on account of the literacy test contained therein. ExPresident Taft has not changed his views as ills letter read by me on tie floor of this House last March showed. The country can not find laborers today. whether it be for the factories or whether it be servant girls for ordinary house work.
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immigration literacy test