Speech #680076275

Then I propose to show you to some extent that narrow and bigoted class. that class who are prejudiced. who are favoring this bill. The gentleman who preceded me a few minutes ago stated that those people from the South. to a great extent. were prejudiced and were not in a position to be fair on this proposition. I come from the great State of Tennessee. a State which has less than 1 per cent of foreign born. I have no prejudice against any nation. nationality. or any peoples. but I feel that I approach this question with a feeling of what is just to America and what is right from the American standpoint. And let me say that this question only is to be determined for what is best for America from the American standpoint. The only justification that we can have In placing a quota on any census of the number of foreign born in America is not with a view of giving foreign born who were living in America at the time a quota. but it is for the purpose of tryIng to give a proper quota on it proper census that will properly distribute immigration from European countries on an equal basis of those who live in the United States. The alien himself. from a logical standpoint. is not entitled to any quota whatever. If this were true. it would be placing a premium on the greater number who have reached our shores from any natiolality during recent years. The 1920 cenis shows that there were nearly 14.000.000 foreign born in this country. and nearly half of this number were not American citizens. and yet if we should put it on the census of 1920. we would be giving representation to a foreign element who are in this country and not American citizens. So. I say again. what we are endeavoring to do is trying to discover a basis with a per centum fixing a certain census year so that we can give equal representation from foreign nationalities of the people who constitute America. It has been said that all of the people in this country or their ancestors were at one time immigrants. This is true. and for that very reason there should be no discrimination of those Amerlian citizens who are descendants from people who came from other portions of Europe at the time of the discovery of this country and the infancy of this Republic. If we are to place our quota on the number of foreigners who were In this country according to the census of 1910. then we give preference to the recent immigration and fail to give proper representation to those who descended from an older stock and who are responsible for the freedom and the glorious achievements of this great country. The descendants of and the aliens from south and eastern Europe only constitute 11.8 per cent of our total population. This being true. then is it not logical to say that those people from those countries are only entitled to this same per cent in the number of immigrants that we admit from said European countries? Is there any reason why they should be given any greater percentage than that which represents their portion of the people of the United States of America?. I feel sure that no one stating this question will answer that it is just and equitable to give them more than that portion of the immigration which they now represent in this country.