Speech #700172581

Mr. Chairman and members of the committee. a great deal has been said in the last few moments about the situation on the Mexican border. Since we have adopted the quota plan of immigration we have watched the borders on the Pacific coast and on the Atlantic coast very thoroughly. and it is. indeed. difficult for the aliens to get through those borders. but we have not looked after the borders to the north or south. It is not the fault of the Department of Labor. I think we have as fine a lot of men along those borders as we could possibly get. but we have not enough. nor do we provide enough money to enable the department to protect those borders. The question of Mexican immigration his been mentioned here today. I would like to see the laws we have at the present time enforced. Mexican immigrants are subject to the following provisions today: That the following classes of aliens shall. be excluded from admission Into the United States: All idiots. imbecile$. feebleminded persons. epileptics. insane persons. persons who have bad one or more attacks of insanity at any time previously. persons of constitutional psychopathic inferiority. persons with chronic alcoholism . paupers. professional beggars. vagrtits. persons afflicted with tuberculosis in any form or with a loathsome or dangerous contagious disease. persons not comprehetded within any of the foregoing excluded classes who are found to be and are certified by the examining surgeon as being mentally or physically defective. such physical defect being of a nature which may affect the ability of such alien to earn a living. persons who have been convicted of or admit having committed a felony or other crime or misdemeanor involving moral turpitude. polygamists. or persons who practice polygamy or believe in or advocate the practice of polygamy. anarchists. or persons who believe in or advocate the overthrow by force or violence of the Government of the United States. or of all forms of law. or who disbelieve in or are opposed to organized government. or who advocate the assassination of public officials. or who advocate or teach the unlawful destruction of property . persons who are members of or affiliated with any organization entertaining and teaching disbelief in or opposition to organized government. or who advocate or teach the duty. necessity. or propriety of the unlawful assaulting or killing of any officer or officers. either of specific individuals or of officers generally. of the Government of the United States or of any other organized government. because of his or thei- official character. or who advocate or teach the unlawful destruction of property. prostiIes. or persons coming into the United States for the purpose of prostitution or for any other immoral purpose. persons who directly or indirectly procure or attempt to procure or import prostitutes or persons for the purpose of prostitution or for any other immoral purpose . persons who are supported by or receive in whole or in part the proceeds of prostitution . persons hereinafter called contract laborers. who have been induced. assisted. encouraged. or solicited to migrate to this country by offers or promises of employment. whether such offers or promises are true or false. or in consequence of agreements. oral. written. or printed. express or implied. to perform labor In this country of any kind. skilled or unskilled. persons who have conic in consequence of advertisements for laborers printed. published. or distributed in a foreign country. persons likely to become a public charge (this clause excluding aliens on the ground likely to become a public charge has been shifted from its position in section 2 of the immigration act of 1907 to its present position in section 3 of this act in order to indicate the intention of Congress that aliens shall be excluded upon said ground for economic as well as other reasons and with a view to overcoming the decision of the Supreme Court in Gegiow v. Uhl. 239 U. S. 3 (S. iept. 352. 64th Cong.. 1st sess.)) . persons who have been deported under any of the provisions of this act. and who may again seek admission within one year from the date of such deportation. unless prior to their reembarkation at a foreign port or their attempt to be admitted from foreign contiguous territory the Secretary of Labor shall have consented to their reapplying for admission. persons whose tickets or passage Is paid for with the money of another. or who are assisted by others to come. unless it is affirmatively and satisfactorily shown that such persons do not belong to one of the foregoing excluded classes. persons whose ticket or passage is paid for by any corporation. association. society. municipality. or foreign government. either directly or Indirectly. stowaways. except that any such stowaway. if otherwise admissible. may be admitted in the discretion of the Secretary of Labor. (See rule 3. subdivision 0.) In addition to the aliens who are by law now excluded from admission into the United States. the following persons shall also be excluded from admission thereto. to wit: All aliens over 16 years of age. physically capable of reading. who can not read the English language. or some other language or dialect. including Hebrew or Yiddish (see rule 3. subdivision N) : Provided. That any atdmissible alien. or any alien heretofore or hereafter legally admitted. or any citizen of the United States. may bring in or send for his father or grandfather over 55 years of age. his wife. his mother. his grandmother. or his unmarried or widowed daughter. if otherwise admissible. whether such relative can read or not . and such relative shall be permitted to enter. In addition the Mexican is required to pay a head tax of $8. I believe we could keep out most Mexicans to which objection has been made today if we simply enforced the laws above mentioed.