Speech #680173467

As between the contending forces of radicalism on the one hand and conservatism on the other. Senator COLT was able to see that. more often than otherwise. true progress lay in following the golden mean. His interest in all classes and conditions of mankind. together with his experience. well fitted him for service on both the Civil Service and Immigration Committees. In the one he was led to consider the needs. the compensation. the standard of living of several hundred thousand Government civilian employees. and to assist in framing and advocating legislation for better conditions in the civil service. and through these promoting in marked degree the general welfare. In the other he was led to consider the immigration problem from the several viewpoints of economics. of social and political standards. and racial characteristics. While he did not share the belief that the United States would as a result of the war be flooded with peoples alien to us in habits. customs. and ideals. and that American institutions would be thereby imperiled. nor subscribe to the doctrine of suspension of all immigration for any period of time. he realized that the time had come for a marked change in our immigration policy. It was under his chairmanship of the Immigration Committee that the first quota law of 1921 was enacted. and this became the basis for our subsequent restrictive legislation. In matters relating to immigration lie was eminently fairminded. sensitive as to the claims and ideals of the peoples of other nations. and would have avoided. if possible. the adoption of any policy likely to give offense or which would embarrass our future dealings or impair in any way our influence for good with the people of any other nationality. His services on both these committees were of a very high order. and those on the Immigration Committee especially were rendered at an important if not a crucial time in the history of our foreign relations.. But efficient as he was in the services mentioned. the work of the Judiciary Committee made stronger appeal to him than that of any other on which he was called to serve. His bent of mind. education. training. and experience had all conspired to fit him most admirably for a service of this kind.