The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1896-05-20
Spirited Debate in the House on Bills
Providing for Radical RexfrIc-
tion OF Immi igration.
THE EDUCATIONAL TEST
SEVERELY CRITICISED BY MR.. BUCK.
A NATURALIZED GERMAN.
Mr.. Tracewelrs speech-Districf of
CoIumbfa Bill Amended and
Passed by the Senate.


day entered on a two days debate Of the
immigration bills reported from the immiga-
ton committee. Mr.. Stone. or Pennsy1-
vania, and Mr.. Tracewell. OF Indiana. ar
gued for restrictive measure: Mr. Cor7iss.
OF Michigan, for his bill. designed to put
an end 10 Canadian competition with Amer
lean labor. and Mr. Morse Of Massachusetts,
and Mr.. Bartholdt. of Missouri. for the edu-
catioral test BILL The feature of the debate
to-day was the plea OF Mr.. Buck, Of Louisi-
ana, against any sort OF restrictive leaisla-
ton beyond that now on the statute bools,
which excludes panpers and criminals.
Before the debate began resolution was
adopted instructing the Sergeant-af-arm 20
summon the clerks OF the counties sn the
Sixteenth district Of Illinois for the purpose
OF recounting the ballots in the Rinaker-
Downing contest The title OF Mr.. Owens, OF
Kentucky. TO his seat was confirmed ana
Messrs Steele. Of Indiana. Couzins. Of Iowa,
and McCselland. OF New York. were ap-
pointed the board OF visitors 60 West
Point.
At 1880 p. m the debate on the immigra-
tion bills was opened by Mr.. Bartholdt,
chairman OF the immigration committee.
The bills were four in number. One known
variously as the Bartholdt. Mccall or Lodge
Z
all male persons between sixteen md sixty
years OF age who cannot read and write
English or some other language Another.
the Stone bill. provided for the inspection os
immigrants by our consular officers ano
their certifcation that the Immigrants do
not belong TO any Of the classes OF imm1-
grants excluded by existing contract labor
or other immigration laws. This bill was
offered as an amendment to the Bartholdt-
Mccall BILL The Corliss bill. offered as q
substitute. applied wholly to the Canadian
to enter the United States except to teach
new arts or industrtes) and engage In any
mechanical trade or manual labor. The Ma
hany bin, also offered as a substitute, made
all contracts by aliens TO perform labor in
the United States Illegal 1t also makes Il .
hr m Ss nsa ter any person 70 S Ia
citizen OF the United States and returned
% foreign country 20 make that his home.
Mr.. Mahanys substitute was ruled out on .
Mr.. johnson. of California. then offered q
sweeping measure 10 absolutely exclude al
foreign born" lab0rers skilled or unSl<llled
and to make captains and masters OF ycS-
sels responsible for the chaxacter.>of their
Mr.. Bartho'dt said there vas no question
so much talked about and so little UNDER
stood as the problem OF immigration. There
prejudice in the demand from certain quar-
ters in favor OF the exclusion or Foreigners.
Good LII imImigration ne u urged, gee IVA was &c, Desirable sra
clusion Of illiterates: An educational test,
he pointed out, would not materially affect
ts tres Of f'D northern % Europe. rope He He warn warned his
Republican associates that, as the advocates
of the educational test for immigration. they
inspection that would cut OF all immigra-
tion save OF the most undesirable sort from
Germany and Scandinavia. could never b
Mr.. Traceweil, who followed Mr.. Bar
tholdt. prefaced his remarks by stating that
ne was not an A: p A.. and declared him-
immigration COMMITTEES. They could ali be
passed with benefit to the country.
bill. explained It's provisions and advocstsd
its passage. The country. he argued, had
long suffered SUM- from unreasonable immigra-
had exceeded the natural increase
Mr.. Bartholdt challenged this statement.
100000 year. while the immigration had
averaged only about q quarter OF q million
z year. Mr. Stone said that during the
ton had fallen of, but with the prospect OF
returning prosperity and high wages ts
did not oppose immigration as long e w
could assimiate the foreigners. but they
were coming too fast In places in his own
language was not spoken and where EnsIisi
neither understood nor respected. His bid
migrsnts sailed Ee had read fsSo tMo ,effern taS -
one from Mr.. Hit, chairman OF the forefeu
anairs committee. and one from CLsrle0
lster to misunderstanding to the efficacy %
Mr. corliss submitted an argument In
favor OF his bill for the exclusion OF for.
eigners who crossed our frontiers each year
TO compete with American labor. He read
the testimony OF inspection agents and 9th
ers along the Canadian border as to the
evil effects Of the annual influx Of the
Canadian birds of passage"
Mr.. Morse favored the Mccall bill. He
country for radical legislation to restric6
immigration and that Congress could noS
afford to disregard Il. 4
Mr.: Buck, naturalized German. op-
posed The restriction OF immigration in an
s.oausnt s,s,a.a speech. ~ there was anybody who
the fcreign-born citizen who held citfxen-
ship. not as right, but as privilege The
American Republic was founded on a spirit
OF the broadest humanity. America for the
aTid wSE wbat as bs Rs5fs and tsusb
enough TO take al who would come. The
educational test TX was proposed to impoGo
was he argued. an fnsidious proposition
But knowledge would be no Snore Of q pr0fecs
ton now than In the days OF Eden. He inti~
at the races OF southern Europe.
Have not some OF the Southern States
adopted educational tests In their conetftu-
tions TO prevent natiye-born Americans from
voting? asked Mr.. Mccall.
''The right TO vote is one thing" replica
Mr. Buck THE right to come TO these
shores 10 work Is another. I care not what
political conventions may say. I am now
speaking my convictions" An educational
test was, he insisted. valueless as a measure
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