Speech #780072427

Some lived 100to 200 miles from a court and could not possibly pay the expenses involved. Their sons and daughters are now in the armed forces of our country. All that we asked in that bill was to waive the first papers so that they could apply for naturalization. We did not ask to waive any literacy test. we did not ask to open the doors to further immigration. it was not a question of new immigrants. but these were people who have been here for years. who now have sons and daughters in the service. The performance that took place here on Monday was a classic demonstration of the feeling that exists among certain people in the House. the prejudices that rise the moment one talks about an alien. On page 5830 of the RECORD yOU will see I am charged with having introduced bills on the Chinese exclusion question. Since when must I apologize to Members of Congress for the bills I introduce? Since when does anyone have to ask for permission to introduce any bill in the Congress of the United States? Just because some people disagree with the provisions in bills to repeal the Chinese exclusion laws they have started a . rumor that we are going to flood this country with cheap Chinese labor. I say it is unfair and unjust to the American people to stifle any bill that has merit in committee. I introduced two bills to repeal Chinese exclusion and I an proud of it. They did not go far -enough and I withdrew them. but there are other bills pending in my committee now that I think deserve the most earnest consideration of this Congress. I have every reason to believe that these bills can be reported or that one bill can be reported to remove the stigma against China and fix a quota for the Chinese people which will help our war effort.