Speech #680076426

Mr. Speaker. it I had my way about it. I would maintain their own separate educational system. suspend foreign immigration altogether until some satisfactory disposition had been made of these upward of 12.000.000 aliens that we already have among us. Why increase the burden? Why aggravate and enlarge the problem? There ought to be some syst em devised whereby these people can be given a reasonable time in which to determine whether or not they want to be American citizens. and if they decide in the negative. they should be invited to return to the land whence they came. According to my philosophy. there is no room on our good American soil for the man or woman who withholds from our flag that respect and reverence which its meaning deserves or from our Government that devotion and adoration which every_ good patriotic citizen rejoices to render. Certain foreign nations and particular alien groups have had the temerity and presumption to criticize our immigration policy. as if this were a subject about which they had some natural or artificial prerogative to be consulted. Whoever before heard of such brazen effrontery! I grant to the bona fide. naturalized American citizen or to any other citizen of our country the right to criticize our policy upon any subject whatsoever. but for a foreign nation. or for a group of aliens in this country to assume to challenge the policy of our Government on this or any other subject is indeed to me preposterous and the very height of impudence. This is a sovereign Nation. and the immigration question is clearly a domestic one. and we certainly have the right to enact any sort of immigration bill that may suit our peculiar taste. convenience. or expediency. even if it may appear to be arbitrary or discriminatory as some of the enemies of this measure have suggested. So far as I am concerned. if it takes arbitrary. discriminatory. or even despotic legislation to protect America and American institutions. in the name of God. let us have them! The future welfare of America is the prime bbject of this legislation. and this should be the slogan of every American whether adopted or native born. During the course of this debate. two distinguished Members of the New York delegation. both of whom are not very many generations removed from Europe. but both of whom are true Americans of recognized and unimpeachable loyalty. have taken occasion to say that opposition to immigration comes from States and districts that have no appreciable foreign element This may be true to a certain degree. and I shall not attempt to controvert the allegation. I am an immigration restrictionist. almost if not to the point of exclusion. and I come from a district that is practically 100 per cent original stock. The people of East Tennessee and of the Allegheny section of our country generally are often referred to as "our contemporaneous ancestors" so pure is our AngloSaxon blood. Do you want to know why we are opposed to immigration as a fixed governmental policy? I will gladly tell you. It is because we know something of the problems with which you in New York.