Speech #680076581

They died for )thers. not for themselves. Therefore let us so live as to exert the influence of the exalted position that. has been conferred upon us for the welfare of mankind and not for the attainment of selfish ends. The policy of our Government as expressed by the act which was passed in Congress in 1917 for a distinctive selective immigration measure has been to welcome to our shores all foreigners who are desirable. namely. those who are mentally. physically. and morally fit and friendly to our form of government. We are all the extract of the foreigner and the only question is. when did our forefathers touch the shores of this land of promise and freedom? Those people born here of foreign parentage and those born in foreign countries comprise onethird of the entire population of this great Nation. and 20 per cent of the recent immigration constitutes the young men and women of todays laboring classes so necessary to our Industrial prosperity. We are in need of both skilled and common laborers. also domestic help. but this bill tends to keep out that class of immigrants best suited for such occupations. Under the provisions of the bill now under consideration it would not bring into this country a better class or a more assimilable body of immigrants than have come under the present law. This bill goes further than the present law in fixing an arbitrary number of ia:migrants than can be admitted. It is the purpose of this bill to embody our permanent policy of immigration and bind us to a program which will be inflexible. unscientific. and unjust. and furthermore. It is an attempt to treat a human problem upon a cold mathematical formula. since it is based on quantity rather than quality. The present bill is particularly objectionable because It dIscriminates against certain nationalities already going to make up a great portion of our population and fans the flames of racial. religious. and national hatreds and brands forever those already here as an inferior stock.