Speech #710236053

I am somewhat surprised to hear the claims of unemployment emanate from the mouths of our colleagues from Texas. particularly in view of the fact that several months ago one of the leading statesmen of that great State. the father of the vicious eighteenth amendment. who is now advocating legislation to put the buyer of a gill of intoxicating liquor or a bottle of 2.75 beer in jail for terms up to five years. spoke to a radio audience from the Nations Capital and pictured the wonderful era of prosperity that 10 years of prohibition had brought about. I agree with the gentleman from Texas [Mr. Box] that this Congress should pass a law to put the immigrants from Mexico. Canada. and the South American countries under the quota. Our Democratic friends orate today in favor of restrictive immigration in the name of protecting the American workers. They forgot about protecting the American worker during the consideration of the tariff bill. What is the difference between letting down the bars to floods of immigration and permitting the products produced by aliens in their own countries to come in here unchecked in unfair competition with the products and labor of our own people? There is no difference from the standpoint of protecting the American workers. There would not be so much unemployment today if we did not have the sumptuary Federal prohibition laws which threw many thousands of men out of employment. and if it were not for the Democratic coalition which delayed the enactment of the tariff bill for a period of over a year. It is Inconsistent for our colleagues on the Democratic side to talk about restriction of immigration in the interest of preventing unemployment. when we have their record made during the past 12 or 14 months in favor of letting the product of cheap alien labor. produced in foreign lands. come in here unchecked in unfair competition and in that way drive American workmen out of employment.