Speech #680074394

And if my colleague will just read Mr. Quinns testimony. beginning on page 973 and on down. he will agree with me that the American Legion. through its officers. did not know of the pending legislation at the time. Now. gentlemen. again I say with all the emphasis at my command that. as a member of the House Immigration Committee. I can not lend my support or approval to this bill. There are many objectionable features in the bill. and particularly is there grave objection to the 1890 census as a quota basis. which. as I see it. is due to the fact that a volume of immigration arrived from northern and western Europe to this country before 1890 and a great volume of immigration arrived from southern and eastern Europe in this country after 1890. and hence the quota immigration percentage law based on the number of each racial group in the country according to the census of 1890 will necessarily result in a wide. unjust. and unAmerican discrimination. Very little argument is required to sustain the point I make. namely. that the bill is discriminatory. unjust. and unfair to those coming from southern and eastern Europe after the year There were only 180.580 foreign born from Italy who arrived in this country in 1890. as compared with 1.343.125 in 1910. There were 182.644 foreign born from Russia In this country in 1890. as compared with 1.184.412 in 1910. On the other hand. the foreign born from Ireland decreased 519.258 in number between 1890 and 1910. and the foreign born from Germany decreased 473.657 between 1890 and 1910. These figures simply illustrate the fact that by comparing the quota basis we are going back to the time where there were the maximum number of immigrants from northern and western Europethe socalled Nordic race--and the minimum nmnber of immigrants from southern and eastern Europe. -and the proponents of the bill fear that because there was a decrease of immigration from northern and western Europe since 1890 and an increase from southern and eastern Europe since 1890 to 1910 that it would result in the detriment of the United States and. upon that ground. that the Immigrants from northern and western Europethe socalled Nordics. who are tall. blond haired. have blue eyes. straight nosesand because they come from that particular part of Europe. should be given preference over all other races in the proposed bill as to the quota. and to hold down the quota as against other good men and women who would make good citizens and who would be a credit to the United States but who could not enter because the quota allotted to their country is too small as compared with the others. In other words. it places a premium upon the immigrant who seeks to come into this country from northern and western Europe and a labef of disapproval against certain other immigrants. no matter what their qualifications may be. who may come from southern and eastern Europe--that Is. if the census of 1890 is permitted to stand. and to prove the figures. we will find that the census of 1890 of 2 per cent under the proposed bill. under section 10a. the total Immigration from 48 nationals would be 161.184. out of which northern and western Europe. including only Great Britain. North Ireland. the Irish Free State. and Germany. would receive a total. of 107.887 against 45 other nationals aggregating the balance. being only a total of 53.297. The Committee on Immigration can not be justified in recommending a law permitting one kind of people as coming from one part of Europe and barring another kind of people because they come from southern and eastern Europe after 1890 and those who come from northern and western Europe before 1890 are more desirable. thereby creating a feeling of hatred. a feeling of discontentment. and which are the very things and the very principles our forefathers taught us not to follow. My interest as a Member of this House and as a member of the committee which had before it the consideration of the proposed law is such that. as an American. I am to do American justice and not pass laws that will be beneficial to one class as against another and not to put a stamp of approval upon one particular class of immigrant. True. there are people who are better than others individually. but not as a class. so far as business is concerned. so far as many other things are concerned. nevertheless. we may find just as good men. with the same qualifications and material. from the stock of those discriminated. And can we say to those born in southern Europe. not by his will. not by his consent. but by circumstances. that he who seeks to enter the Uniled States. he who is able to lend a helping hand toward further development of the United States. that he can not enter because the quota from southern Europe is small and that that quota has been filled long ago?