Speech #680040286

Mr. Chairulan. partisan politics has not up to this year entered into the question of immigration legislation. It was a hundred years after the signing of tile Declaration of Independence before Congress enacted any restrictive immigration laws at all. and it was only then because certain foreign countries were literally shipping their paupers and convicts to America. Later Democratic and Republican Congresses passed immigration bills oInly to be vetoed by Republican and Democratic residents. In 1.91.7 our present basic Immigration law was passed by a Democratic Congress over the veto of a Democratic President. In 1921 it was a Republican President who signed. the present quota law. I want to say. as my friend and colleague from Olli [Mr. CooPER] hais just said in respect to prohibition. that there is no room for partisan politics in solving the immigration problem. It is a purely patriotic question involving American traditions and ideals. Democrats and Republicans alike. in my opinion. are equally loyal in their desire to protect America and the American people from the inllux of immigrants that threaten to come to the United States at the present time. The partisan issue was not raised until what I term a foreign bloc raised its head and held out its votes to the Republican Pafrty and to the Democratic Party alike. offering its support and votes to the party that would assist them in the defeat of the immigration bill. and threatening the defeat of the other party.