The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1897-01-27
ILL1TERATE IMMIGRANTS.
Separation OF Husband and wife Dis.
cussed-Ia Exclusion Necessary.

WASHINGTON, Jan. 27, 1S97.-The
House today, after the reading of the
Journal, entered upon the consideration
of the Immigration bill as agreed upon
by the conference of the House and SEN
ate.
Mr.. Bartho1dt (Rep., MOI, Chairman of
the House Committee on immigration,
refused to sign the report.
1t was agreed that the debate should
continue until.4:15 O'clock today and that
members should have the right to print.
Mr.. Danford (Rep., % opened the de-
bate IN the presence of a large number
or members, but an unusually small at
tendance In the galleries.
He explained the changes made in con-
ference and answered the objections made
to the separation of an illiterate husband
and his wife,
K He admitted that this bill was drawn
for the purpose Of excluding undesirable
immigrants, and the educational test was
pose. The time had come he said, when
something should be done to restrict i'm
migration. Time and again the conven-
tions OF the two great parties had prom
ised tho country relief on this score; but
this was the first real effort to make
good these promises. He read from sta
tistical returns of the Superintendent of
immigration to show the large proportion
of illiterates coming to the United States
from the southern and eastern portions
of Europe, asserting that the immigra-
tion from the western and northern ma
tions of Europe would be but little af-
fected by the proposed legislation.
A significant statement had been made
IN the newspapers recently to the effect
that If every industrial wheel in the coun-
try was started and the mills fully
manned there would be two or three hum
cred thousand men still unemployed. He
did not speak for the Weary Watkinses'
who did not want work at any time, but
for those who did want to labor, and
who were pleading for legislation for
their protection.
The provisions of the bill known as the
Corliss amendments and intended to deal
with that class known as ''birds of
passage Mr.. Danford said, would doubt
difficult probably than was imagined;
but that something should be done TO pre-
vent their predatory forays of these people
who come in the summer 4 and flee in the
MT. l3oaiver (Rep., IoWa) asked what
was the purpose of departing from the
educational test fixed by the House and
the Senate bill, and providing that the inn
migrant should read and write the consti-
tuition of the United States in the Ian
guage of their native OF resident coun-
try?''
Mr. Danford replied that 1t was to reach
the Russian Jews who, being driven from
their homes, and having drained the char
ity of Western Europe, were being thrown
the first time in their history the Hebrew
Associated Charities of New York was
compelled to appeal for aid to those
outside their own race for the
relief of their people in that city. He
concluded with an earnest plea for the
passage of the bill which would in some
small degree relieve the county from the
menace to which it is exposed sunder pres
ent laws. He did not ask THAT hardship
be worked to any one, but that the inter
ests of the residents of the country
might be conserved.
In opening the debate in opposition to
the adoption of the report, Mr.. Barth-
oldt said he had refused to sign it
visions families ies-husbands and wives,
ed; and second. that it forbade the en-
trance of immigrants who could not read
the language of their native or adopt
ed country. These drastic provi-
sions, he said were not contained in
either the House or the Senate bill, and
their appearance vindicaIted his expressed
fear, some weeks ago, that if the bill
went to conference it would return in
a shape which would not be justified, to
the constituents of many representa- tives
and would offend the sense of Justice and
of right in the country.
Many members fnterrogated Mr. Bar
tholdt with a view to demonstrate that
the language of the bill would not work
such disadvantage as he imagined, to all
of whom he said his object was to per-
feet the measure so as not to expose de-
sirable immigrants to the jeopardy in
volved in the present form of the bill
Several suggestions were made as to the
best manner in which to secure this end
but friends of the bill found none of them