The silver blade. (Rathdrum, Idaho) 1895-1903, 1896-05-23
ton. George, Mills-S. Populist-Peffer.
Total Ii.
DEBATE OF IMMIGRATION BILLS
The House Has u Number Under Con-
siderat ton.

Washington. May 19.-The house today
entered upon a two days debate of the
immigration bills reported from the i'm
migration committee. William Stone OF
Pennsylvania and Mr.. TraceWell OF In
diana argued for restrictive measure;
Mr.. Cowliss of Michigan, for his bill, de-
signed to put an end to Canadian compe-
tition with American labor; Mr.. Morse of
Massachusetts and Mr.. Barthodt Of Mis-
souri, for the educational test BILL The
feature Of the debate today was the plea
of Mr.. Buck of Louisiana against any
sort Of restrictive legislation beyond that
now on the statute books, which exclud-
ed paupers and criminals. Before the
debate began resolution was adopted in
structing the sergeant at arms to sum-
mon the clerks of the counties in the
Sixteenth district of Illinois for the pur-
pose of recounting the ballots in the
Rinaker-Downing contest.
The title of Mr.. Owens Of Kentucky 10
his seat was confirmed, and Mr.. Steele of
Indiana, Mr.. Cousins of Iowa and Mr..
McClelland of New York were appointed
on the board of visitors to West Point
At 1880 the debate on the immigra ton
bills was opened by Mr.. Bartholdt of
Missouri, chairman of the immigration
committee. The bills were four in num-
Der. One known variOuSly as the Bar
tholdt, Mccall or Lodge bill provided an
educat ional test. 1t excluded all male
PERSONS UcLWGGH 10 dIlu on years VI age
who could not read and write English or
some other language. Another, the Tone
bill, provided for the inspection of ,mmi-
grants by our consular officers and their
certfication Of immigrants who do not
belong to any class Of immigrants exclud-
ed by existing contract labor or other i'm
migration laws The bill was offered AS
an amendment to the Bartholdt- Mccall
bill.
The Corliss bill. offered as substitute,
applied wholly to the Canadian border
and made it unlawful for any alien to en-
arts or industries) and engage in any me-
chanical trade or manual labor. The
provisions of the bill do not apply to
sailors on the great lakes.
The Mahaney bill, also offered as a
substitute, makes all contracts by aliens
to perform labor in the United States IL
legal. 1t also makes 1T misdemeanor
for any person to perform labor duty in
the states who has become d citizen OF
the United States and returned to for
egn country to make that his home.
Mahaney's substitute was ruled out on
point of order.
Mr.. Johnson of California then offered
q sweeping motion to absolutely exclude
all foreign born labOrers, skilled or TN
skilled, and to make captains and masters
of vessels responsible for the character
Of their passengers.
Mr.. Bartholdt says that there was no
question so much talked about and 50 1T
tie understood as the problem OF imml-
grafton. There was, he thought, too
much passion and prejudice in the de-
mand from certain quarters In favor OF
the exclusion of foreigners. Good immi-
grafton, he urged, was desirable. His bill
was a moderate measure for the exclusion
of illiterates.
An educational test he pointed CUT
would not materially affect immigration
from Germany and other countries OF
northern Europe. He warned his rcpCb-
iican associates that as the advocates OF
| an educational test for immigration they
could go to the country, but cons liar
! inspection that would cut off all immigra-
/ ton save of the most undesirable from
Germany and Scandinavia could never be
successfully defended.
! Mr. Tracewell of Indiana, who followed
Mr.. Bartholdt, prefaced his remarks by
stating that he was not an A. P. A. and
! declared himself in favor of all the bills
reported by the immigration commit tee.
/ They were not inconsistent, he "rg1ed,
and could all be passed with benefit 10 the
! country.
| w. A. Stone, the author of the Stone
/ bill, explained its provisions and advocat-
! ed its passage. The country, he argued,
! had long suffered from unreasonable inn
| migration The immigration for the last
10 years had exceeded the natural in
crease.
Mr.. Bartholdt challenged this statement,
contending that the natural increase was
! 1000, 900 year, while the immigration had
averaged only about 250,O00 year
Mr.. Stone said that during the hard
times of the last three years immigration
! had fallen off, but with the prospect of re-
turning prosperity and high wages it
would increase to startling proportions.
/ Mr.. Corliss of Michigan submitted an
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