The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1896-03-17
THE SCENE
The immigration Question Up Before
the Senate by Lodge.
HALE AND MORGAN ON CUBA
Maine's Representative Ably An
swered by His Opponent IA
Sharp Colloquy-Cannon's
Debut-In the House.


early reference to the Cuban question
by Offering a resolution directing the
| committee on foreign relations, before
the vote was taken on the Cuban reso-
lutions, to make a report to the senate
or all material facts on the subject;
stating specifically whether a state of
war now exists in Cuba. how long il has
been in existence, how many men are
engaged on the respective sides; wheth-
er the insurgents have adopted a con-
stitution and organized a government,
and at what place the seat of govern
ment is carried on; what places and
ports are occupied by the insurgents,
and to what extent they would affect
our relation with Spain. Sherman ask
ed that the resolution go over, under
the rules, until tomorrow, and Elkins
assented.
Call secured the adoption of a resolu-
tion calling on the secretary OF the
treasury for information as to the de-
tention of vessels supposed to be carry
Ing arms to Cuba and the legal authori-
ty for such a course.
Palmer offered a resolution, which
went over, declaring that the unlimited
coinage of silver by the United States
would subvert existing legal CONNER
cial values.
Cannon made his first speech, sharp
ly crfticising Secretary Hoke Smith on
the latter's recent response to the SEN
ate resolution as to Indian lands. Can
| non characterized the secretary's ac-
tion as discourteous, misleading and
evasive, and protested in behalf of the
West at the lack of information and in
telligent action by the secretary on
matters affecting the Western country.
At o'clock Lodge was recognized for
a speech on immigration and in support
of the resolution for additional immi-
grafton laws. Senator Lodge showed by
existing laws paupers, diseased persons,
convicts and contract laborers are now
denied admission to the United States
BY the bill under consideration ii was
| proposed to make a new class of ex-
cluded immigrants, viz: The totally ig-
norant. Two questions arose in connec-
ton with the bill. First, as to the
merits of this particular form of re-
| striction; and. secondly, as to the gem
eral policy of restricting immigration
at all. 1t was found as a result of in
vestigation that the illiteracy test
would bear most heavily upon the Ital-
ians, Russians, Poles, Hungarians,
Greeks and Adriatics. and very lightly
or not at all upon English-speaking en-
| igrants, or Germans, Scandinavians
| and French.
''The races which would suffer most
| seriously by exclusion under the pro-
posed bill," he said, furnish the emf
grants who do not go to the West or
| South, where immigration is needed,
and where their presence is most inju-
rious and undesirable. The immigrants
excluded by illiteracy tests are those
who remain, for the most part, in con-
| gested masses in our great cities. They
furnish large proportion of the popu-
| lation of the slums."
The question of the advisability of
| restricting immigration was a subject,
/ the senator thought, of the greatest
| magnitude, and the most far-reaching
| Importance. If" he continued, I'VE
have any regard for the welfare of the
wages, or the standard of life of Amer
| ican workingmen, we should take i'm
| mediate steps to restrict foreign immi-
| grafton. There is no danger at present,
| at all events, to our workingmen from
the coming of skilled mechanics or of
trained and educated men with a set
tied occupation or pursuit, for immi-
grants of this class will never seek to
lower the American standard of wages.
But there is an appalling danger to the
| American wage-earner from the flood of
low. unskilled, ignorant foreign labor.
which has poured into the country for
some years past, and which not only
takes lower wages, but accepts a stan
dard of life and living so low that the
American working man cannot compete
with II. The injury of unrestricted i'm
migration to American wages and
American standards of living is suffi-
ciently plain and is bad enough, but
the danger which this immigration
threatens to the quality of our citizen
ship is far worse"
4 Lodge spoke for an hour and was
followed by Pugh in support of the sill
Yer amendment to the tariff bill Pugh
argued that the economic troubles Of
the United States were caused by an
insufficient and congested currency.
The senator declared that the restric-
tion on our money to the single gold
standard was the root of our financial
troubles. He added that IL the demo-
cratic party. under the leadership Of
| one man. forsakes che cardinal prin-
ciples Of maintaining both metals. IL
will be the most remarkable revolution
in political history. The senator re-
ferred sarcastically to those democrats
who had been converted to gold in the
Cleveland inhrmary." No two presi-
dents We're more widely apart on
finance than Andrew Jackson and
| Grover Cleveland. Pugh said he could
name members OF Cleveiand's cabinet
who were clamOrous for free silver UP
to 1899. and who were now parading
for gold. At $3.50 O'Clock Pugh yielded
the floor 20 continue his financial
speech tomorrow.
Sherman called up the Cuban resoIu-
tions and Morgan addressed the senate
on this question. The senator said the
American people had expressed their