Speech #680040382

Mr. Chairman. a bill which will carry on some of the restrictive provisions of the present quota law. which would expire on June 30. must be passed soon through this body and through the Senate. It must be apparent to all Members and citizens generally that as the weeks go by. bringing us closer to the time when such a restrictive law. which was the first one ever signed by any President. expires. that the Issue will become more and more keen. Nothing breeds so much trouble as racial differences. There is nothing which makes such vicious debate as religious prejudice. Therefore if the membership of this House which desires to act for the good of the United States will. as these debates come on and as letters and telegrams pour in. and as the Issue becomes more and more clear cut. begin to sort up and classify the varying forms of opposition and endeavor to see .why this kind of opposition and why that kind of opposition and how all opposition is bound together. we shall be prepared to exercise good judgment when the time comes to vote on the restrictive immigration bill. I believe now more firmly than ever that races will stick together. There must be some reason. In Europe. where there is so much trouble. often when you cross a river you step from one nation to another nation. You find the people not only speaking a different language but hating the people on the other side of the river with all their might. as they have hated them for a thousand years. and. to my mind. as we come in the United States to a reflex of these disturbances In connection with an effort to restrict immigration. and when we hear the appeals of various peoples calling themselves this or that hyphenated type of American. we can see what we are breeding in the United States If we do not act now while the opportunity is ours. There Is no malice and there is no attempt at discrimination and no hatred in the bill which is on the calendar . A situation has arisen and that bill meets it. I have taken occasion In years past to say to those who come with special appeals in behalf of special peoples who seem to think that because they have arrived in the United States the people they left behind in other countries have vested rights in the United States. that each time the House Committee on Immigration labors on a bill to restrict immigration the provisions are made a little more restrictive. This is clearly in response to the public demand. which has become nationwide. and if this thing keeps on and the challenge becomes more bitter. I feel sure that the committee of which I have the honor to be chairman will. if it makes any change in the bill at all. make it still more restrictive. lApplause.] Many Members of the House want a bill completely suspending immigration. Iut. my friends. when you come to write a bill suspending immigration you find you can not write one unless you suspend the treaties with all nations. So you have to make exemptions to cover the requirements of all the treaties. and then make exemptions for visitors. for sailors. for wives and children. and soon you make so many exemptions that you destroy the plan of suspension. A small quota is the better plan. I am only one member of the committee and only one Member of this great House. but if I could write a bill I would restrict the quota almost to the vanishing point. and tilen I would admit the bona fide wives and childrenthe unmarried children under 18 of the people in the country prior to April 1. 1.924. or any other dte certain. In that way we could clean house and help those now here to establish their homes. To my mind there is nothing gained in bringing new people. new immigrants. without their wives and children. and then denying them the opportunity or privilege of bringing their actual immediate families. I hope some day that those who are working tile hardest to solve the immigration question will see that. The preamble to our Constitution starts with " We. the people of the United States." That takes care of all the people here. We do not say " citizens." but we say "people." and we mean "people." That being so. the quicker we decide to be a little more careful as to who are admitted as "people of the United States" the more certain we shall be as to the future of the United States.