This is the right thing because it Is the humane thing. Permit me to tell you that the immigration which Is coming now is probably better than what came to this country In the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries. Besides some religious fanatics. it was the scum of Great Britain and Ireland. Pickpockets. jailbirds. and streetwalkers. White slavesbecause this is what the "indentured servants." so called. really wereformed the great bulk even in the eighteenth century. The best immigration came here from 1830 to 1900. I also think that the suggestion of the Secretary of Laborwho is really a fine man in most respectsthat schoolteachers should help in the espionage only makes that bad bill so mucb worse. And above all. unless a tremendous number of inspectors to enforce the act Is set upsomething like that which we have for the Volstead Act. only much largerthe law could not be enforced. And just imagine the fruitful field for oppression and graft. Because under this act aliens convicted of violations of the act would immediately be arrested and deported. The opportunities for graft in this instance would be infinitely greater than either those of incometax inspectors or prohibition employees. Moreover. let us not forget that such an inspector could pounce upon any citizen and demand that he give proof of his citizenship. According to a statement made before the House Committee on Immigration more than onehalf of the nativeborn citizens of the United States are today unable to produce any record of their birth. And any citizen who could not produce evidence of his citizenship would be subject to penalties under this act. because he did not register.
Identified stereotypes
Generalization that early immigrants were the "scum" of their countries.