Speech #700113590

As a matter of fact. the safest and most prosperous years of Santa Fe operation have been since the Burnett illiteracy test enactment. The congressional and committee records contain abundant record of such opposition to former legislation from these sources. Their favorite turn is to persuade members of the Cabinet and other advisers of the President that some dire evil will result from the checking of immigration. Usually they have induced the President to use all the influence of his great office against the restriction of immigration. Often they have persuaded him to veto such bills. In 1879 President Hayes vetoed the first Chinese exclusion act. (2 I. C. R. 580.) In 1882 President Arthur vetoed an act suspending Chinese immigration for a period of 20 years. (2 I. C. R. 581.) On March 3. 1897. President Cleveland vetoed an immigration act excluding illiterates. (2 I. C. R. 573.) President Taft vetoed an immigration bill in 1913 containing a restriction against sess. 59th Cong.. p. 101.) In 1917 President Wilson vetoed an act excluding illiterates. but Congress passed it over his veto. If the misguided gentlemen who thus influenced the action of these Presidents and others had had their way and the people had not asserted themselves through the action of their Representatives in Congress. all of our larger cities and much of our country would now have a population and political rings much like those of Chicago. Philadelphia.