The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1896-05-20

WASHINGTON, May 19.-Ths house
to-day entered upon a two days debate
Of the immigration bills reported from
the immigration committee.
Mr.. w A. Stone. OF Pennsylvania. and
Mr.. Trucewell. of Indiana, argued for a
restrictive measure; Mr.. CorltSs, Of
Michigan. for his bill. designed to put
an end 10 CANADIAN competition with
American labor and Ar. Morse, OF Mass
aehusetts, and Mr.. BarthOldt, OF Mis-
gouri, for the educational test bill. The
feature Of the debate to-day was the
plea Of Mr.. Buck, OF Louisiana, against
any sort OF restrictive iegtEiattoh be-
yond that now on the statute books.
which excludes pRupers and criminals.
Before the debate began a resolution
was adopted instructlng the sergeant
nt-armS TO summon the clerks Of the
counties In the Eleventh district of llli-
noiS for the purpose OF counting the
ballots In the PInnker-D Downing con-
test The title of Mr. Owens, (ky), to
his selt whS confirmed and MeSsrs,
Steele, Hnd.), Cousins, QoWa), and Nc
Clclland, IN. W, were appointed on the
board Of visitors to West Point.
At 1880 p. M, the debate on the immt-
grafton bills was opened by Mr.. Barth-
oldt, CRep, MOI, chairman Of the I'M
migration committee.
Mir. Bartholdt argued that there was
M question SO much talked OF and so
little understood as the problem OF I'M
migration. There was, he thought, too
much passion and prejudice in the de.
mnnd from certain quarters In favor OF
the exclusion OF foreigners.
Mr. w. A, Stone, OF PsnnsylYan4a,
the author OF the Stone bill, explained
its provisions and advocated Its pas
sage. The country, he argued. had long
suffered from unreasonable lmmlgra-
tInn.
The immigration Of the last ten years
had exceeded the natural increase.
Mr., Bartholdt challenged this stnte-
ment, cOntendIng that the natural In
crease was 100000 year, while the
immigration had averaged only about
a quarter OF million a year.
Mr.. Stone said that during the haru
times Of the past three years, inm'RTa-
ton had fallen of, but with the pros.
pect OF returning prosperity and nigh
wages It would Increase to startling
proportions. He did not oppose immi.
grafton as Ions as we could nssimIlate
the foreigners. but they were coming
too fast. In places In his own state
there were lOChuLlSh WHITE btAS A@h6'AsA
Language was not spoken, and where
EngIIAh newspapers were not read. Our
laws were neither understood nor r.
spected. His bill would transfer the
Inspectlou system from our ports to the
ports from which the immigrants SAIL
I'd. He had read two letters, one from
Mr.. Hit, chairman OF the foreign At-
fairs committee and one from Charles
Emory Smith, formerly minister to
Russia, testIfyIng TO the feasibility OF
his bill.
Mr.. Buck, Dem. La-). a naturaliEed
German, opposed the restriction OF i'm.
migration In an eloquent speech. II
there was anybody who voted Ameri-
canship, said he. Il was the forelGn born
citizen who held citizenship not as
right, but rs a privilege.
THE American republic az founded on
a spirit OF the broadcast humanity.
America for the world. as Washington
and Jefferson thought, was what nc
wanted. America was big enough to
take NIL who would come.
At6p. M. the house adjourned.