Speech #690245605

In the congressional campaign of 1926 certain malicious charges were made against me by my opponent. in public speeches. in newspaper articles. and in the printed pamphlets circulated in the closing days of the campaign. which falsified my record on important public questions and which contributed materially to the outcome of the election. which resulted in my defeat. I care not about any interpretation on public issues which would make me appear to have been in the wrong. but I do believe that a candidate for high office should be held responsible for a misstatement of facts. and above all else for a misstatement of facts in regard to a voting record as it is disclosed by a roll call in Congress. My opponent. seeing that in spite of his perfect organization. in spite of his tremendous campaign fund. in spite of misrepresentation of my views and stand on many. both important and unimportant. issues. that he would not be able to defeat me. deliberately and maliciously undertook to make false statements about my record vote in Congress on the immigration bill passed in the Sixtyeighth Congress in 1924. My opponent knew that the nationalorigin feature in the 1924 immigration law. which would go into effect on July 1. 1927. was very unpopular with people of Scandinavian and German descent. and that the ninth congressional district of Minnesota is made up mostly of people of foreign birth or descent. He knew that the stand I had taken on this question was the stand that would find favor with these people if it was properly presented to them. and he also knew that many of my constituents were conversant with the stand that I had represented to them that I had taken on this question. He therefore set out boldly to convince the people that I had not told them the truth and that my stand on this question in Congress had not represented their wishes and best judgment. In order to carry out this malicious scheme he had prepared with great skill and cunning a pamphlet dealing with the immigration law and with my purported stand on this question. He also. through misrepresentation. obtained an .official certification as to my vote on the immigration law. as disclosed by a roll call in Congress. The statement made over the statement of Mr. C. G. Selvig describes the immigration law as a law that discriminates against the Scandinavians. and a law that brands them as an "inferior race." He uses figures. none of which are correct. to show what a great reduction will be brought about in the immigration quotas from Scandinavian countries under this law. while the immigration from Great Britain will be increased out of proportion. In the official certification appended to the statement made by Mr. Selvig it is set out by the gentleman who made the certification. a certain Mr. Alexander Fosmark. United States commissioner. that I. as Congressman representing the ninth Minnesota district. voted for the new immigration law. I herewith submit the pamphlet: