Speech #680081371

In this city since I have been a Member of Congress a parade took place denouncing the eighteenth amendment. a parade whose members wore badges in flagrant defiance of the Constitution. reading "No beer. no work." and in that parade there was hardly one man in three that could speak intelligent English. As long as such an exhibition as that is possible. this country has no need for more of its kind. No. the country has passed the point of further assimilation and has a bad case of immigrational indigestion. This bill strikes a new chord in humanity. Its humanitarian features alone should secure its passage. because under it the quotas shall be selected abroad and the race across the sea to enter within the quota limits shall have ceased. Unless some mistake has been made. no alien who shall not be admitted Shall come across the sea. Though I am In favor of a total exclusion for a period of quota immigrants. I am In favor of somewhat liberalizing the nonquota immigrants. solely for the purpose of admitting to this country the fathers and mothers. children. brothers. and sisters of those who have already become citizens. To make the best citizen it is necessary to have as few connections with the mother country as possible. so let the family circle that has been broken be reunited. let the heartaches of the father for his wife and children. his mother. father. brothers. and sisters be stopped. They will make better citizens. they will be more quickly assimilated than if a reminder of old home and loved ones is constantly before him. It will stop hoarding money in this country to send back across the sea. The gentleman from New York on yesterday said that the per capita savings in savings banks among the immigrants was greater than that among the native born. I think that was an inadvertance on his part. Had he thought. he would not have made that argument. It shows that the native born. expecting to live and die here. has invested in a home for wife and children. and that Ihe immigrant Is constantly hoarding and saving not for his own enjoyment in the land of his selection but to send back to be enjoyed by those and to be used in the betterment of the country across the sea. This completion of the family circle would also remove this constant drain upon our resources. No person with a heart could help be touched if lie stands at Ellis Island and sees a poor Immigrant family. however worthless lie thinks them to be. who with the savings of years and without admonition from abroad has arrived at our gates and finds when lie has not money enough to return that perhaps one child can be taken and the other left. Regardless of my opposition to immigration. my sympathies would not permit me to tolerate a condition like this. which is forever done away with by this bill. But here I would stop until those who are so fortunate as to have entered into this lnd where all men who try can find work and can live in peace and contentment. in honor. and in comfort. appreciate In their hearts that they have received a great benefit and priceless blessing .and are willing by reason thereof to cherish its institutions. to uphold its laws. and to reverence its flag. forgetting that they are AngloSaxons. ScotchIrish. .IrishAmerican.