Speech #710031574

The patriotic student of our affairs shudders when he trys to forecast the consequences of a breakup of the great twoparty system which has existed since the infancy of the Republic. The effort of Mr. Raskob and his rdgime to have the Democratic Party abandon its fight for individualism. for a just distribution of the burdens of taxation. for moderation in tariff duties. and for general economic justice and soundness. and change the party into an instrument of the Association Opposed to Prohibition. working for the liquor interests. and make it also the representative of groups opposed to the restriction of immigration. is an effort to divert it from its larger mission and make it merely the organization of the liquor and antirestriction blocs. More than threefourths of the Democrats of this House voted for the Volstead Act and have on every proper occasion voted to sustain it. and in so doing represented a like proportion of their Democratic constituencies. To use the party as a liquor bloc would be a perversion and degredation. For many years a majority of the Republican Representatives in Congress have supported the restriction of immigration. but the Burnett Immigration Act of 1917. with the literacy test and other restrictions. was passed by a Democratic Congress who believed in restriction strong enough to pass the act over the veto of a powerful Democratic President. An overwhelming majority of the Democratic membership supported the immigration act of 1924. and still stand by the law in spite of all efforts to break it down. Yet the Raskob coterie tried to distort the partys position into one of opposition to restriction of immigration as that idea is embodied in the immigration act of 1924. I now tender proof of the statement just made. Will the membership of the House. especially the Democratic membership and the Democrats of the country. hear and consider what I present as evidence in support of this statement?