Speech #670333746

As proposed by the committee. it would give these bounties to big. private. profitmaking combinations. like the Standard Oil Co. and its subsidiaries. the Steel Trust. and other big private interests. like that of the packers. many of whom do. and others who may. operate their own vessels in carrying to and from foreign ports their own goods to their own warehouses and factories. Even as amended. the same vicious principle is in the bill and in great measure the same result will be caused. It connects the Nation with a most dangerous policy of helping steamship companies iiake money out of bringing immigrants to America. The history of their handling of this traffic Is one of inhumanity. lawlessness. and unpatriotic disregard of the public welfare. One who reviews it as it has been conducted by them can hardly fail to notice its resemblance of the shipping engaged in the slave trade. The history of the dealings of Congress with immigration is the record of difficulties caused by shipowners. contractlabor importers. and other obstructions embarrassing all efforts to protect the country against incoming criminals. prostitutes. pau.pers. and anarchists and an unwelcome throng of undesirable aliens. Before 1820 no record was kept of immigration and no regulation of any kind was attempted. During the first 50 years after 1819 the National Government did nothing toward restriction but did attempt to prohibit shipowners from crowding poor wretches together like hogs or cattle in the insanitary. inhuman manner practiced by them. which caused degradation. disease. and thousands of deaths among them. I read from volume 2 of the report of the United States Immigration Commission. page 5S9. which I cite as "I. C. R.": Prior to the year 1819 there were no United States laws governing or regulating oceau passenger traffic. * * * As a result abuses were permitted and practiced on transporting vessels that caused distress. disease. and death. especially among immigrants bound for America. (2 I. C. R. 589.) Further. the fact that the protection given by the law* � * was inadequate. is showu by the gruesome records of the steerage experiences In those days. (2 I. C. R. 591.) From the beginning of the movement of population from Europe to the New World suffering and death were common on immigrant ships. Among the earlier instances recorded was that of 3.000 Palatines forwarded * * * by England to New York. 470 of whom died on the voyaige and 250 soon after their arrival of ship fever. There is also a gruesome account * * * of experiences on a still) which sailed in 1731 for America from Rotterdam with 156 immigrants. She was botind for Philadelphia via Falmouth. When she had been at sea eight Weeks the passengers were put on short allowances. and during the lest five weeks of their journey were unable to obtain bread. Finally. they were paying 18 pence for a rat and 6 pence for a mouse. (2 1. C. R. 589.) Upon the increased demand for transportation to the United States following the close of the second war with England many vessels which had originally been constructed solely for the purpose of transporting freight were hurriedly transposed into immigrant ships that they might enjoy some of the profits of a business that had become lucrative. This with the fact that excessive overcrowding had been Spracticed on all vessels. rendered the condition of emigrants at sea almnost unbearable. (2 I. C. R. 590). The potato famine In Ireland occurred in 1847. and in consequence there was a great Increase ia emigration from that country. (2 I. C. R. 591.) Faminestricken Ireland was also fever ridden. * * * the disease was carried aboard ship. where in the overcrowded and poorly ventilated steerage quarters thousands died of ship fever and thousands Smore survived the voyage only to die after landing. Thousands of Irish and other British emigrants died during the voyage to Canada. and at Grasse Island. near Quebec. where the Canadian quarantine station was located. as many as 7.000 emigrants perished from ship fever and cholera in 1847 alone. (2 1. C. R. 592.) In 1819. 1847. and 1855 laws were passed by Congress to limit crowding and prevent the starviug of immigrants. but these were opposed. avoided. and disregarded by the shipping concerns. Tie Immigration Commission says: It may well be questioned whether the condition surrounding the .transportation of emigrant passengers had been improved by any of these laws. (2 1. C. R. 593.) Slave ships. moved by human greed. brought wretched humans from Africa to sell into slavery in America. where they elibroiled the country in years of strife. caused an awful war. rand yet present a dangerous race problem.