Speech #660333740

I think. Mr. President. that any policy with reference to immigration which would keep out the farming element represented in the old class of Immigration which has heretofore come to us. and which will now come to us unless we close the gate against it. would be unwise and shortsighted. We need that class of immigrants. both as farmers and farm laborers. Even in southern and eastern Europe there is a class of .citizens. some of whom hate in the past emigrated to this country every year. who make good farmers and farm laborers.: For example. there is not a finer class of farmers anywhere than those from that section of .northern Italy known as Lombardy. They make fine farmers and good citizens. The Italian farmer of southern Italy can not be said to be an undesirable citizen. because he is well trained. intelligent. and thrifty as a rule. The undesirable element I have been speaking about is composed of the riffraff of the city.. that class of Italian labor that is nomadic. which distribute themselves over the earth wherever they can find the most.lucrative employment and are as gregarious as the animals. They are the element I say we do .not want. and conditions here make it undesirable that we should have them. I do not know how it may be with other Southern States. but while we are opposed to this class of immigration which all of us down there recognize as -objectionable and as undesirable. and as people all over this .country recognize as undesirable. in my section of the State we are very anxious to get good farmers. if we can. men who -will come here for the purpose of engaging in farming. men who have been trained in that business. Whether they come from one section of Europe or another section -of Europe. we are anxious to have them down South. -and we need them. and unless we get them. Mr.