The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1896-05-20
1t Is Claimed That Those Who
Seek Admission Should
Read and Write.
COMPETITION OF CANADIANS
Many LaborerS Cross the Border Daily
and Return to Their Homes
at Night.

WASHINGTON, D. c., May 19.-The
House to-day passed the resolution from
the Committee on Elections No. l, con-
frming the title of w. Z. Owens CD to
the seat he occupies as Representative
from the Seventh District of Kentucky
which has been contested by George Den
ney Jr. 1t also passed a resolution from
the same committee providing for a ballot
scale for Congress in the Sixteenth Illinois
District at the November election of 1894
in the contest of Rinaker VS.. Downing for
the seat from that district.
The immigration Committee early
claimed the floor under the order adopted
yesterday, and Bartholdt (R.) of Missouri,
called up the Mccall bill establishing an
educational test for immigrants, so that in
the future they must be able to read and
write some language before they will be
admitted. The bill applies only to male
immigrants, and the parents of any person
now residing in the United States or who
may hereafter be admitted shall not be ex-
cluded because of inability to read or
write.
Corliss (R.) of Michigan offered an
amendment to the bill introduced intended
to relieve the lake cities of the competition
OF Canadians who come into the United
States TO labor, and especially to prohibit
the employment of Canadians on vessels
engaged on the lakes and on railroads run
ming into the United States from Canada.
Stone (R.) of Pennsylvania offer ed as
substitute for the first section of the Nc
Call bill his bill which requires in addi-
ton to the educational test a satisfactory
consular inspection of the emigrants at the
port of departure, without which admis-
sion to the United States shall be denied.
Mahaney (R.) of New York offered as
an amendment to the proposed bill his bill
relating to the same subject but more ex-
plicit in its provisions.
The Mahaney bill was held to be OBJ
noxious on point of order and was with
drawn.
Johnson (R.) of California proposed as
an amendment to the substitute of Stone a
bill forbidding the admission OF any
foreign-born laborer, skilled or unskilled,
into the United States after August L,
1896 This was also ruled out on point
OF order.
Bartholdt opened the debate in support
of the bill called up by him. The asser-
ton that i'm migrants did not assimilate
with the people was not borne out bv the
facts. TIE educational force OF the COM
mon school had largely settled that ques-
ton. They were no longer Germans, Eng
lish, French or Italians, but Americans.
Had it not been for the services OF foreign
born soldiers the result of the War of the
Rebellion might have been different.
Patriotism was not marked by matter of
tongue.
Bartholdt warned his associates that
they could face the country as defenders
OF an educational test, but not as advo-
Gates of a consular inspection measure
Tracewell (R.) of Indiana urged the
passage of the Stone bill. He said he
was not a member of the A. P A, but was
a protectionist from the crown of his head
to the sole of his feet and he believed that
all the measures reported from the COM
mittee if passed would benefit the country.
Stone advocated the passage of his bill.
He said the country was suffering from
superf1uous immigration.
"1mmigration to the United States from
many countries now sending its citizens
here in large numbers is matter of recent
years, said Mr.. Stone, land we must put
a stop to it if we expect the United States
to become what we have wanted it to and
believed it would be. The agitation upon
this subject will not cease until we give to
labor the protection to which it is entitled
and which we have given to capital. Il
Applause.
Corllss (R.) of Michigan said that 100, 900
Canadian laborers-"birds of passage
came to the United States and entered into
competition with the Iaborers of this coun-