Speech #660341943

Once this bill passes. that decision will be held by foreign nations to be our determination regarding the right of aliens to come here. We have constantly heard that the aliens from northwestern Europe have not produced any of the social unrest in America. Those. who have matle this statement have endeavored to have the public at large believe that the social unrest which is alleged to exist is caused in those States where the socalled new immigration has settled. The correct way of looking at this proposition is to take those States where the old immigration exists and to see how the votes were cast for President. particularly. for Debs. The State of Wisconsin is an old immigration State. It has a very large number of Germans. The voters of that State cast Ili per cent of their votes for Debs. Another old immigration State is Minnesota. Scandinavians predomiiate there beyond dispute. It cast 8 per cent of its vote for Debs. In tile State of New York. which is one of the socalled new. immigration States. Debs received barely 7 per cent of the vote cast for President. Where are the separate language schools found? In Wisconsin we find the separate German schools. In Nebraska the same condition prevailed until recently. When discussion arises regarding higher wage standards. every sensible. thinking. fairminded citizen knows that it was when the new immigration came into America that wages rose. It is admitted by everyone that in the Southern States wages are low. The reason for that is that there is less than 2 per cent of aliens in the population of those States. If fairness and justice were to be subserved. a different basis of calculation for the entry of immigrants would have been adopted. and if the percentage basis is to be the foundation thereof. then the census of 1920 should have been used. When war was declared against Germany and Austria we did not take the census of 1910 as a basis for calling men into the service under the selective draft law. It is obvious that no reason exists for the adoption of the 1910 census as the basis. of immigration legislation during the year of 1921. except the desire to forget the service which was rendered to this country.. by the hundreds of thousands of aliens who had come to America during the last 11 years and waived exemption in order to enter the Army. They fought and died for America. yet when the question arises as to whether their surviving relatives are to be permitted to enter here. they are told that they do not count as a basis of calculation. But those who were our German and Austrian aliens do count as a basis of calculation. What is fair for one country should be fair for all. There were 1.722 men in the United States who gave up their first papers in order to avoid entering the Army. Onehalf came from the old immigration countries. namely. Norway and Sweden. The new immigration practically produced no cowards of this kind. Mr. Speaker. Members of Congress. moved on by hysteria. urged on by propaganda. excited by cartoons. and pushed forward by the same forces which for many years have endeavored to bar the doors of America to good. lawabiding aliens. pre-. pared to do the rough. hard work of the Nation. seeking in numerous cases an escape from oppression and persecution in Europe. often flying to America as political refugees. are to be kept out under this act under a percentage system. The sensible American citizen is bound to wake up and to learn that this bill is bound to discriminate against wouldbe immigrants who are morally. physically. and mentally.fit to be admitted into this country. Whence will come the men to do the unskilled labor of America? will be the question which the proponents of this measure will be unable to answer within the next few months. when the Republic sees a wave of real prosperity. and when American merchants and business men go forward with their trade with South America. Europe. and Asia. Every American citizen must condemn the adoption of a 3 per cent method based upon the census of 1910. and the President. I feel confident. knowing of the loyalty. devotion. and patriotism of the millions of men and women who have heretofore come into America. helping to make this country larger. bigger. and more prosperous. will look at this legislation in a different light. unmoved by those forces of prejudices and undeterred from performing that duty which is his under the Constitution. The President knows that since the new immigration has coma to America that wages have risen and progress in education has been the greatest. lie will take the figures and he will find that wherever they have settled they have encouraged appropriations for education. and that illiteracy has been reduced.