The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1896-05-20
TO CLOSE THE DOORS
Measures in Congress to Re-
strict immigration.
FOUR BILLS PROPOSED
They Were Discussed. in Z the
House Yesterday.
CANADIAN "BlRDS OF PASSAGE"
Theslnflux.of Foreigners For the Last
Ten Years HAS Been About
Quarter Million Souls
CANADIAN "BlRDs OF PASSAGE"
The,lnfIux.of Foreigners For the Last

Washington, May 10.-The House
to-day entered upon a two-days' de-
bate of the immigration bills reported
from the immigration committee.
Mr.. w. A. Stone, of Pennsylvania,
and Mr.. TraceweII, of Indiana, argued
for a restrictive measure; Mr.. Corliss.
OF Michigan, for his bill designed to
put an end to Canadian competition
with American labor and Mr.. Morse,
Of Massachusetts, and Mr.. Bartholdt,
of Missouri, 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 legisla-
ton beyond that now on the statute
books which excluded paupers and
criminals.
Before the debate began, a resolu-
tion was adopted instructing the Ser
geant-at-Arms to summon the clerks
Of the counties in the Sixteenth dis
trict of Illinois for the purpose of re-
counting the ballots in the Rinaker-
Downing contest. The title of Mr..
Owens, of Kentucky, to his seat was
confirmed and Messrs. Steele, of In
diana; Cousins, of Iowa, and McClel-
land, of New York, were appointed on
the Board of Visitors to West Point.
Mr.. w. A. Stone, (Rep., of Pennsyl-
yania), the author of the Stone bill, eX-
planned its provisions and advocated
its passage. The country, he argued,
had long suffered from undesirable
immigration. The immigration for
tile last ten years had exceeded the
natural increase. Mr.. Bartholdt chal-
lenged this statement, contending that
the natural increase was 100000 q
year, while the immigration had aver
aged only about quarter of q 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. He did not oppose inn
migration as long as we could assimi-
late the foreigners, but they were
coming too fast. IN places in his own
State there were localities where the
English language was not spoken and
where English newspapers were not
read. Our laws were neither under
stood nor respected. His bill would
transfer the inspection system from
our ports TO the ports from which the
immigrants sailed. He read two letters,
one from Mr. HIT chairman of the
Foreign Affairs committee, and one
from Charles Emory Smith, formerly
Minister to Russia, testifying to the
feasibility of his BILL He admitted,
when questioned closely, that immi-
grants might have difficulty ia furnish
ing the evidence necessary to obtain
consular certificates.
Mr.. Corliss (Rep, Michigan) submit
ted an argument in favor of his bill,
for the exclusion of foreigners who
crossed our frontiers each year to com
pete with American labor He read
the testimony of inspection agents and
others along the Canadian border as
to the evil effects of the annual influx
of the Canadian birds of passage"
Mr.. Morse (Rep., Massachusetts) fa-
vored the Mccall BILL He said that
there was a strong demand in the
country for radical legislation to re-
strict immigration and that Congress
could not afford to disregard it.
Mr.. Buck (Dem., Louisiana),
naturalized German, opposed the re-
striction of immigration in an eloquent
speech. If there was ANYBODY who
it was the foreign-born citizen who
held citizenship not as right but as
a privilege. The American republic
was founded on a spirit of the broad
est humanity. America for the world,
as Washington and Jefferson taught,
was what he wanted America was
big enough to take all who would
come. The educational test, it was
proposed to impose was, he argued, an
insidious proposition. But knowledge
would be no more of a protection now
than in the days of Eden.
He estimated that the educational |
test was aimed at the races of south |
ern Europe.
"Have not some of the Southern
States adopted educational tests in |
their constitutions to prevent native
born Americans from voting?" asked |
Mr.. Mccall rep, Tennessee.)
THE right to vote is one thing re- /
piled Mr. Buck. "The right to come to
these shores to work is another. |
care not what political convention
may be. ! am now speaking my con-
An educational test was" he
'valueless as a measure Of a
mans capacities"
At 5 p. m. the House adjourned