Speech #680076281

Have they any right to say that there Is a discrimination. unless they insist that it is the alien who is entitled to have the per cent and not the American people who constitute the population of this country. The quota based on the census of 1910. as is now the law. and as is tile insistence of the minority report. is a discrimination as against the people of this country who did not originate from southern and eastern Europe. Under the provisions of the present quota law. based on the census of 1910. approximately 44 per cent of the quota is allotted to southern and eastern Europe. when as a matter of proper representation they would only be entitled to about 12 per cent. The reason for this large percentage is from the fact that the immigration from southern and eastern Europe is what is known as new immigration. the most of whom have come to this country during tie past 30 years. Practically all immigration prior to 1870 was from northern and western Europe. The immigration from 1860 to 1870 was 98.4 per cent from northern and western Europe. from 1870 to 1880. 91.5 per cent from northern and western Europe. and only 8.5 per cent from southern and eastern Europe. From 1880 to 1890. 20 per cent came from southern and eastern Europe. 1890 marks the time. in a way. between old and new Immigration. From 1891 to 1900. 52 per cent came from southern and eastern Europe. 1901. to 1910. 76.7 per cent came from southern and eastern Europe. and from 191.1 to 1920. 77.5 per cent came from southern and eastern Europe. From these figures you can plainly see that if we place the quota on the number of foreign born in this country on the census of 191.0. we discriminate as against the old stock who builded this country and give preference to those aliens constituting the new immigration. It is not the foreign born alonemany of whom were not American citttzensthat are entitled to a percentage of the immigration that comes to this country. but it is the American people who are entitled to this percentage of the nationalities from which they spring. and whenever this is done we will keep America. as it is now. with the same ideas and ideals. The idea which I am trying to impress is. that it is not the aliens who are entitled to a quota. but it Is the American people who are entitled to a quota. And this quota based on a percentage of the alien population should be such a percentage as will give the people of this country proper and equal representation to the nationalities of which this country is made up. regardless of whether the immigration is new or old. With this in view. the quota based on the census of 1890 comes nearer being just and equitable to all the people of America than any other census which we can adopt. It is not a question of what is just and equitable to the foreign countriestheir coming into this country is a privilege and not a rightbut it is a question of what is just and equitable to the people who constitute this great Government and who. either they or their ancestors. have come from foreign lands.