Speech #680081370

A people that are much easier assimilated by our American population. In 1917 the Congress realizing the seriousness of this question passed a literacy or educational test which was a forward step. In 1921 the Congress passed the 3 per cent quota law. by which we prevented millions of undesirable Immigrants coming into the United States. The provisions of the 3 per cent quota immigration act of May. 1921. and May. 1922. unless this bill or some similar legislation Is passed by this Congress automatically ceases to exist after June 30. 1924. The Members of this Congress must either pass this bill or assume the responsibility of opening our doors again to unrestricted immigration. which I hope you will not do. Tile following statement made by the chairman of the Committee on Immigration and Naturalization some time ago causes us to realize tile costs of unrestricted immigration in dollars and cents to the people of the different States: Cost of the care of the feebleminded. criminal. diseased. deformed. and dependent aliens In the penitentiaries and eleemosynary institutions is on the average of 7 per cent of all taxes collected by the different States. This does not include the costs of those In jails and county institutions. It is contended by some that unrestricted immigration will supply the shortage in farm labor. but this is not substantiated by past experience. In the fiscal year ending in June. 1921. 800.000 aliens came to our shores and only 2 per cent of this number were farmers and 3 per cent farm laborers. The argument that we need immigrants for cheap labor is not well founded. It is a fact that these men will and can work for low wages. because their standard of living is much lower than the American laborer. but you will also find it is true that one American workman can do about two and onehalf times as much work in the same length of time as the native of southern Europe. which means a loss to the employer even tfiough he can hire the foreigner at half the wage of the American workman. I would mention to my Republican friends who are going to vote against tis bill that your stockintrade arguments in favor of a protective tariff is that American labor will be protected against foreign competition. yet by voting against this bill you bring in foreign laborers whose standard of living is much lower than the American. and he competes direct with the American laborer. In 1920 when the present quota law was considered in the House and an amendment restricting all immigration for a period of five years was offered. I voted for this amendment. believing as I did that we should first Americanize the foreigners already within our borders before we admitted any more of these people. who come from those nations which for centuries have been the scene of strife and bloodshed. where conditions have bred a dislespect and disregard for all laws. I would still take that position if it were not for the fact that in the bill under consideration there is a provision. as far as it is possible. for a physical. mental. and moral test at tile port of embarkation. It is also provided that only 2 per cent of the number of foreignborn individuals of such nationality resident in the United States as determined by the census of 1890. which means a decrease of all immigration and especially of the numher of undesirable immigrants from southern and eastern Europe. The following table shows the decrease by using the census of 1890 as a basis instead of the census of 1910. Estimated immigration quotas based on census reports of 1890 and 19102 per cent plus 100 for each rationality Estimated quotas based on 2 per cent of census plus 100 Country or region of birth Census of Census of Albania -------------------------------------------------- 104 292 Armenia (Russian) --------------------------------------- 117 252 Austria --------------------------------------------------- 1.090 4.994 Belgium -------------------------------------------------- 609 1.142 Bulgaria -------------------------------------------- 00 302 Czechoslovakia ------------------------------------------- 1.973 11.472 Danzig. Free City of ------------------------------------- 323 300 Denmark ------------------------------------------------- 2.882 3.846 Esthonia ------------------------------------------------- 202 998 Finland -------------------------------------------------- 245 2.714 Fiume. Free State of ------------------------------------- 110 148 France -------.------------------------------------------- 3.978 3.920 Germany ------------------------------------------------- 45. 229 40.172 Great Britain and North Ireland ------------------------- -41.772 34. 503 Irish Frbo State ------------------------------------------ 20.886 17.254 Greece --------------------------------------------- 135 2. 142 Hungary ------------------------------------------------- 588 3.932 Iceland... . . . ..--------------------------------------------- 136 150 Italy ---------------------------------------------------- 4. 689 28.138 Latvia ---------------------------------------------------- 217 1.126 Lithuania ------------------------------------------- 402 1.852 Luxemburg ------------------------------------------- 158 162 Netherlands. --------------------------------------------- 1.737 2.504 Norway -------------------------------------------------- 6.553 8.234 Poland --------------------------------------------------- 8.972 20.752 Portugal ------------------------------------------ --- 574 1.744 Rumania ------------------------------------------------- 731 5.046 Russia -------------------------------------------- 1.892 15. 370 Spain (including Canary Islands) -------------------------- 224 708 Sweden ---------.----------------------------------------- 9.661 13. 462 Switzerland ---------------------------------------------- 2.181 2.602 Yugoslavia I --------------------. 835 4.384 Sa aia---------------------------------it 1 San Marino ---------------------------------------------- It0 110 Andorra ---tein------------------------------------------- 100 100 Liechtenstein --------------------------------------------- 100 100 Monaco lestin --------------------------------------------- 101 100 Palestine ---------------------------------------------- 01 138 Syria ey-------------------------------------------------- 112 688 Turkey --------------------------------------------------- 123 1.870 PeJaz ----------------------------------------------------- 105 105 Persia --p---------------------------------------------- 10 125 Egypt ------------------------------------------------- 106 112 Liberia --------------------------------------------------- 100 100 Abyssinia --ro --------------------------------------------- 1 00 100 M orocco .. . .. . .. . . .. . .. . .. . . .. . .. . .. . . 100 100 Union of South Africa- ....................... 110 110 Australia -------------------------------------------------- 220 296 New Zealand and Pacific islands -------------------------- 167 154 Total ----------------------------------------------- 161. 184 239. 930 I do not believe the passage of this act will make our immigration laws perfect. but it will be a long step in the right direction. It will help to preserve American institutions and ideals for Americans of the present day and for our posterity to come against that mad viper of thoughtBolshevisinthat has lifted its ugly. striped head and is attempting to strike with poisonous fangs the very vitals of our republican form of government.