Speech #690176163

President. I was just remarking when I was interrupted that the fewer that come from Europe the better I will be pleased. I would vote for a bill to close the immigration doors for a period of five years. I would like to try that out. I mean really to close the doors for five years. I do not think our immigration laws are being enforced now. I think thousands of people are being smuggled inthat they are coming in at New York and other placeswho have got no business here and no account is taken of them. They are not counted in the nunber that come in. The Washington Post last year or the year beforeI have forgotten whichhad an editorial on that subject and complained about the ineffectual way that the law was being enforced. I have here the Governuefit statistics as to the number tfiat came in during 1907. In that year 1.285.000 immigrants entered this country and in 1914 there were 1.218.000. I know. Mr. Presldent. that the law works a hardship on some few people. and I know that the instances that appeal to the human heart are dug up and cited to the Senate in order to appeal to the sympathetic side of Senators. I know. too. that efforts are being made iii one way and another to uisdo the present immigration law. If 35.000 are permitted to come In under this provision. and 200.000 more are found in the same class. the doors having been already opened. the precedent having been made. how could we. in all good conscience. deny admission to the others when they came forward and showed us that they were bona fide cases as much as those whom we had admitted? This is a serious question we are considering here today. There are people in the United States who do not like the present immigration law. They opposed it at the outset: their Representatives in Congress voted against it in the other House. and it was opposed here. It is always opposed by some Members of Congress. We have men in both Houses who are opposed to restricting immigration of any kind. This question is one of great importance to the American people. Thomas Jefferson. the great father of the Democratic Party an(d the luthor of the Declaration of American Independence. said In substance: " While you are preparing to defend your country with arms.