Speech #660311241

Senators on the other side of the aisle who have signed the.motion for cloture and who propose to put it over tomorrow will have to answer to the soldiers for their action. There are other amendments which are also important and which. if cloture shall be adopted. will be excluded -from consideration in connection with this measure. I refer. for instance. to the immigration amendment which has been offered by the Senator from Colorado . who has just made his able speech criticizing the socalled emergency tariff bill. Senators on* the other side of the aisle. know as well as I do that unless we can get the immigration bill reported out of the committee or otherwise bring that question before the Senate for discussion and have a vote on it at a very early date. it will be impossible to pass any legislation on that important question at this session. The socalled Johnson bill passed the House some weeks. in fact. I might say months. ago. it came to the Senate. and the Senate Committee on Immigration have been having prolonged hearings on the question. There are some members of the committee who are in favor of reporting out that bill as it was passed by the House and who have been in favor of voting it out ever since it was referred to the committee. but a majority of the committee are opposed to the Johnson bill. in my opinion. So it appears to me that little opportunity will be offered to the majority of the Senate who at this time are favorable to proposed legislation restrict-. ing immigration into this country to vote their convictions. and. unless we can consider it in connection with the emergency tariff bill. perhaps we shall be estopped during this Congress from its consideration. It has been stated that 15.000.000 foreigners are clamoring for steerage accommodations in order that they may come to America. Eastern Europe. it is said. is swarming with people seeking passports and desirous of coming to this country. Their coming. of course. can only result in battering down the present prices of wages and adding to the burdens which now confront the American people.