Red Lodge picket. [volume] (Red Lodge, Mont.) 1889-1907, 1896-05-23
D}iBAT'E OF IMMIGRATION BILLS
The House Has Il Number Under Con-
~it!cr:t ion.

Washington. May 19-The house toby
entered upon a two days debate of the
immigration bills reported from the inn
ni@ratioG committee. William Stone OF
T. nnsylvania and Mr.. Tracewel of In
diana argued for Il restrictive measures;
Mr.. CowIiss Of Michigan. for his bill he-
signed to put an end TO Canadian compe-
ttion with American labor; Mr.. Morse OF
Massachusetts, and Mr. Bartholdt of Mis-
souri, for the educational test bill. The
fca ture of the debate today was the plea
of Mr.. Buck of Louisiana against any
sort of restrictive legislation beyond that
now on the statute books. which eNclud-
ed paupers and criminals. Before the
debate began Il resolution was adopted in
stlucting the sergeant ut arms to sum
mon the clerks of the counties in the
Sixteenth district of Illinois for the pur-
pose of recounting the ballots i'll tn"
Rinaker- Downing contest.
The title of Mr.. owens of Kentucky 20
his seat was confirmed, and Mir, Steele of
Indiana. Mr.. Cousins of Iowa and NJ"
MtCleliand of New York were appointed
on the board of visitors TO West Point.
Vt 1880 the debate on the immigla ton
bills was opened by Mr. l'arthoidt OF
Missouri. chairman of the lmmlgra ton
committee. The bills We're four in mum
f,er One known vari0usly rs the Bar"
tholdt, Mccall or Lodge bill provided an
educational test. / excluded all male
persons between Ii and SO years OF ae"
who could not read and write English or
some other language Another the Tone
bill. provided for the inspection OF lm1nI-
grants by our consular officers and their
certitication of immigrants who do not
belong to any class of immigrants eNclud-
ed by existing contract labor or other i'm
migration laws. The bill was offered as
an amendment to the Bartholdt-M Mccall
bill.
The Corliss bill, offered as a substitute,
applied wholly to the Canadian border
and made it unlawful for any alien to Ell
ter the United States Except to teach ne"
arts or industries) and engage in any me-
chanical trade or manual labor The
provisions of the bill do not apply To
sailors on the great lakes.
The Mahaney bill, also offered as
substitute. makes all contracts by aliens
to perform labor in the United States il
legal. IT also makes 1t m1sdemeahoi
for any person to perform labor duty in
the states who has become citizen OF
the United States and returned to tor
aign country to make that his home.
Mahaney's substitute was ruled out on
| d point of order
Mr. johnson of California then )5fef3o
! = sweeping motion to absolutely exclude
| all foreign born laborers, skilled or In
| skilled, and to make captains and masters
| of vessels responsible for the character
| of their passengers
This was also ruled out.
| Mr.. Bartholdt says that there was no
| question so much talked about and 50 Ut
| tie understood as the prohiem OF 'mihl-
| grafton. There was. he thought, too
| much passion and prejudice in the de
| mand from certain quarters in favor OF
| the exclusion of foreigners. Good lmlnI-
! grafton, he urged, was desirable. His hlll
| was a moderate measure for the exclusion
| Of lliterates.
| An educational test he pointed cut,
| would not materially affect immigr ltlon
| from Germany and other countries OF
| northern Europe. He warned his repub-
| Ican associates that as the advocates OF
| an educational test for immigration they
| could go to the country, but cons 1lal
| inspection that would cut off all immtEra
ton save of the most undesirable from
| Germany and Scandinavia could never pe
successfully defended.
Mr.. Tracewel of Indiana who 'oHoWaG
Alr Bartholdt, prefaced his remarks bl
| stating that he not an A. +. \. enc
declared himself in favor of all the bills
reported by the immisrat ton commit zee
Thev were not inconsistent. he 'rgIed
and could all be passed with benefit TO TIE
| country.
| w. A. Stone the author Of the Stonc
bin. explained its provisions and advocat
| ell its passage. The country. he argu Il
had long suffered from unreasonable i'm
| migration. The immigration for the las
| iG wears had exceeded the natural in
| crease.
Mr. Barthodt challenged this statement
contendng that the natural increase va:
900 COO a year, while the immigration ha'
averaged only about 259ooo a year.
| Mr. Stone said that during the have
| times of the last three years immigratio,
had fallen off. but with the prospect of re
| turning prosperity and high wages
would increase to startling proportions.
Mr Corliss of Michigan submitted II
argument in favor Of his bill for the eN
rIusion of foreigners who crossed ou
| frontiers each year to compete VIII
American labor. He read the testimon
, Of inspection agents and others alons IN
Canadian border as TO the evil effects .
til" annual influx Of the Canadian bird
of passage.
Mr. Morse of Massachusetts favored IN
. ! Mccall bill. He said that there was
| strong demand in the country for radlcJ
legislation to restrict immigration, m
| that congress could not afford 10 dIsrt
= gard it.
= Mr. Buck OF Louisiana, a natufailze
+ | German. opposed restriction OF lmmlgf"
: ! tion in eloquent language. An educi
| tional test was. he insisted. Talu"leSS Z,
a a measure of a mans capacities.
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