The Kinsley graphic. [volume] (Kinsley, Kan.) 1890-1940, 1896-05-22
TWO DAYS DEBATE
Four Anti-Immigration Measures
In the House.
AGAINST RESTRICTIVE LEGISLATION
There 10 the Educational Test and the
Consular Inspection and the Corlis
and Mahaoey sBIlls-Oiher
Congressional News.

/ washington, II. T., May ~ - Ne
house today entered upon a two days
debate Of the immigration bills report
ed from the immigration committee.
Mr.. William Stone of Pennsylvania and
Mr.. Tracewell Of Indiana argued for i
restrictive measure; Mr.. Corliss of Mich
igan for his bin, designed to put an END
to Canadian competition with American
labor; Mr.. Morse of Massachusetts and
Mr.. Bartholdt Of Missouri. for the edu-
cational test bill. The feature of the
debate today was the plea Of Mr.. Buck
of Louisiana against any sort of re-
strictive legislation beyond that now
on the books, which excluded paupers
and criminals. Before the debate be-
gan resolution was adopted instruct
ing the sergeant-at-arms to summons
the clerks of the counties in the Six
teenth district Of Illinois for the pur-
pose Of re-counting the ballots in the
Misunderstanding contest.
The title Of Mr.. Owens of Kentucky
to his seat was confirmed and Messrs
Steele Qnd), Cousins Qa), and McClei-
and (N. W were appointed on the board
Of visitors to West Point.
THE FOUR BILLS.
At 1890 p. m, the debate on the irnmi-
grafton bills was opened by Mr. Bar
tholdt CRep. No. chairman of the inn
migration Commute. The bills were
four in number. One known variously
as the Bartholdt, Mccall, or Lodge bill,
provided an educational test. 1t eX-
cluded all male persons between 16 and
60 years of age who could not read and
write English or some other language.
Another the Stone bill, provided FOR
the inspection of immigrants by our
consular officers and their cert:ication
that the immigrants do not belong TO
any of the classes of immigrants ex-
Guided by existing contract labor or
other immigration laws. This bill was
offered as an amendment to the Bar
tholdt-McCall bill.
The Corliss bill, offered as a subst'-
tute, applied wholly to the Canadian
border, and made it unlawful fol any
alien to enter the United States except
to teach new arts or fndustries), ana
engaged in any mechanical 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 illegal. 1t also makes it mis-
Gemeanor for any person to perform
labor in the United States who has be-
come citizen of the United States am
returned to a foreign country to make
that his home.
SUBSTITUTES RULED OUT.
MIR. Mahaney's substitute was ruled
out on a point of order. Mr.. Johnson
Rep. CALI then offered sweeping
measure to absolutely exclude all for
eign-born" la borers. skilled or unskilled
and to make captains and masters o:
vessels responsible for the character OF
their passengers. This was also rulec
out.
Mr.. Bartholdt said that there was no
question so much talked about and sn
little understood as the problem OF i'm
migration. There was, he thought,
too much passion and prejudice in the
demand from certain quarters in favor
of the exclusion of foreigners. Good
immigration, he urged. was desirable.
His bill was a moderate measure for
the exclusion of the illiterates. An
educational test, he pointed out, would
not materially affect immigration from
Germany and other countries or northern
Europe. He warned his Republican as
sociates that, as the advocates of th..
educational test for immigrati ton, they
could go to the country, but consular
inspection that would cut off all i'm.
migration save of the most undesirable
sort from Germany and Scandinavia
could never be successfully defended.
TRACEWELL FAVORS ALL.
Mr.. Tracewell (Rep. Ind.,) who fol-
lowed Mr.. Bartholdt. prefaced his re-
marks by stating that he was not an
A. P. A. and declared himself in favor
of all the bills reported by the immigra-
ton committee. They were not in
consistent, he argued, and could be pass
ed to the benefit Of the country.
Mr.. W. A. Stone (Rep: Pa the au-
thor of the Stone bill, explained its pro-
visions and advocated it's passage. The
country, he argued, had long suffered
from unreasonable immigration. The
immigrat ton for the last ten years hal
exceeded the natural increase.
Mr. Bartholdt challenged this state.
mert, contending that the natural ir-
crease was 100000 a year while the
immigration had averaged only abou:
quarter of a million year.
Mr.. Stone said that during the hard
times Of the past three years. immigra-
ton had fallen off, but with the pros
pect of returning prosperity and high
wages it would increase to startling
proportions.
Mr.. Corliss Rep. Mich.) submitted
an argument in favor Of his bill for the
frontiers each year to compete with
American labor. He read the testimo
ny of inspection agents and others along
the Canadian border as to the evil ef-
fects of the annual influx Of the Cana
dian birds of passage"
Mr.. Morse Rep. Mass.) favored the
Mccall bill Said that there was q
strong demand in the country &c. radi-
cal legislation to restrict immigration
and that congress could not afford tc
disregard it. Mr.. Buck (Dem. La a
natYralized German, opposed restric-
ton Of immigration in eloquent lam
guage. An educational test. he insist
ed, was valueless as a measure of .
mans capacities.
At 5 o'clock p. m, the house adjourn.
ed.
ARMY AND NAVY UNION