Speech #670209658

Mr. Chairman. while the gentleman from Massachusetts disputed the historical authenticity of the story of the burning of the witch at Salem. he failed to take cog. nizance of the fact that the witchburning spirit actuates the proponents of this legislation. This bill provides for the deportation of noncitizens for a violation of the prohibition law or of the prohibition regulation of any State. The penalty of deportation is to be added to the present penalties. I wish I could find language adequate to express what I think of the proponents of the bill. Unfortunately the parliamentary situation does not permit it. Parliamentary practice would not permit a Member to say to other Members that they are hypocrites. fanatics. or stupid. Deportation is one of the most cruel forms of punishment. It %-as practiced by the Bourbons of France. and I am not surprised that the Bourbons of Texas support it. If a man violates a law. punish him. If lie happens to have had enough intellect to choose to be born in the United States. if at the moment of his birth lie possessed enough genius to choose this flag. then if lie violates a law of his own land he should be punished the more severely. He flouts the law of his own choosing. the law of his own making. He violates a Constitution purchased by the blood of his forefathers. and lie is so much more of a criminal. if distinctions are to he drawn between citizens and noncitizens in the enforcement of the law. Some countries of Europe have been so reorganized that a man canl not be deported to the country of hi origin. New governments and new allegiances have been forced upon many of the peoples of Europe as the result of the last war. We are continuing the hysterical war legislation. The principle of deportation was brought in during the war to deal with an extraordinary and unprecedented emergency. Now you are going to deport a man because he has taken a drink in violation of the law. Some of you would be deported if you happened to be foreign born and noncitizens. The noncitizen is to be a legal outcast. Let us be honest about it. Why. gentlemen. this proposition merely indicates that the mentality of Congress has become exhausted.