Speech #660333749

What was .found at Monessen was found in a more or less degreegenerally less degree. howeverIn each of the other towns we visited in that district. I believe each member of your committee returned to Washington feeling that steps should be immediately taken to Americanize these people. and we believe the best method to do this is to educate them and have them taught the English language. Until this is done we should greatly restrict our immigration. Unless we dp. there is danger ahead for our institutions and our Government. Mr. President. the question of restricting immigration is a difficult one. My s~mpathy goes out to the foreigner who is suffering from a tyranmical government or from a lack of government. or -who is suffering from enormous burdens of taxaton. or who is suffering from social or racial tyranny. It seems a pity that such a one could not come to America and enjoy the benefits of a real free Government. My sympathy also goes out to the foreigner -who has already come to this country and become a citizen here. and who wants to send for his wife. or daughter. or mother. or father. or son. or near relative. .It seems to -be a trerendous hardship on a man not to permit these relatives to come in after lie has become an American citizen. and yet. with the figures before us. I do not see how those of us wyho wish to perpetuate our Giovernment and its Institutions can do otherwise than to vote to place greater restrictions upon immigration. Mr. President. the Congress should at an early date prepare and pass a measure that vill not -only restrict immigration to a greater degree but that will permit us to choose the kind of immigrants that we will accept. thus socuring a better class of people than we lmve been in the habit of getting. Limitations should be nmde as to distribution. In other words. these immigrants should not be permitted to congregate -in the great oenters of population as they have been doing heretofore. They shouid be distributed in the various States and among all kinds of industries. including farming. I take it. we could well assimilate many good farmers from the old country. but we do not get them. Very few of the immigrants who come here ever become farmers. The most of them are merchants or workers in mills or factories. We should retain some iud of control over them for a period of years.