The evening times., 1897-01-27
THE IMMIGRATION BILL
Debate Upon 1t Was Begun in
the House.
MIR. DANF0RD'S
SPEECH
He Admits That 1t Was Drawn for
the Purpose of Excluding Unde-
sirable Immigrants, and the Edu-
cational Test VIII Accomplish 1t.
Questions Asked by Members.

Questions Asked by Members.
The House today, after the reading Of
the Journal, entered upon the consideration
or the immigration bin, as agreed upon
by the Conferees of the House and Senate.
Mr. Bartholdt, chairman OF the House Com
mittee on Immigration, refused TO sign the
report
IL was agreed that the debate should
Continue until 4:16 O'Clock today and
that members should have the right to
! print. Mr.. Danforth opened the debate
in the presence OF large number of mem
bers. but an unusually small attendance
| in the galleries. he explained the changes
made in conference and answered the OBJ
lections made to the separation OF an
llterate husband and his wife.
He admitted that this bill was drawn for
the purpose OF excluding undesirable I'M
migrants, and the educational test was in
serted in order to carry out that purpose.
The time had come, he said, when some
thing should be done to restrict immigTa-
ton. Time and again the conventions OF
the two great parties had promised the
country relief on this score; but this was
| the first real effort to make good these
promises He read from statistical re-
turns of the superintendent OF immigration
To show the large proportion of illiterates
| coming to the United States from the south
eTn and eastern portions of Europe, assert
ing that the Immigration from the western
! ana northern nations OF Europe would be
but little affected by the proposed legisla-
ton.
A significant statement had been made in
the newspapers recently to the effect that
! if every industrial wheeln the country was
started and the mills fully manned, there
would be two or three hundred 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 We're 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 pass
age" Mr.. Danf0rd said would doubtless be
found difficult to enforce; more difficult,
probably, than was imag gined; but that
something should be done to prevent their
predatory forays OF these people who come
in the summer and flee in the winter. was
generally conceded.
Mr. Doolittle asked what was the pur-
pose of departing from the educational
test fixed by the House and the Senate
bill and providing that the immigrant
should reSd and write the Constitution
OF the United States in the language Of
their native or resident country"
Mr.. Danford replied that IL was TO reach
the Russian Jews. who. being driven from
their homes md having drained the charity
of western Europe, were being thrown upon
our shores in great numbers. For the first
time in their history the Hebrew Associated
Charities Of New York were compelled to
appeal for aid to those outside their own
race for the relief OF their people in that
city. lie concluded with an earnest plea
for the passage of the bill, which would in
some small degree relieve the country
from the menace 70 which il is exposed
under present laws. He did not ask that
hardship be worked 60 anyone. hut that the
interests OF the residents Of the country
might be conserved.
In opening the debate in opposition to
the adoption OF the report, Mr.. Bartholdt
said lie had refused to sign it for two rea-
sons-first, that by its provisions families
husbands and wives, mothers and chill
dren-would be separated, and, second,
that il forbade the entrance OF immigrants
WHO could not read the language of their
native or adopted country. These drastic
provisions, lie said, were not contained in
either the House or Senate bill, and their
appearance vindicated his expressed fear
some weeks ago that il the bill went to con-
ference it would return in a shape which
could not be justified to the constituents
of many Representatives and would offend
tile sense of justice and of right in the
country. The bill, Mr.. Bartholdt asserted,
would defeat the purpose nominally urged
by its advocates, of establishing an educa-
tional test. 1t would shut out, for instance,
a class Of Germans who had for 300 years
made their homes in Russia, the language
Of which they did not speak; also many
residents of Alsace-Lorain who had not
yet acquired the German language.
To Mr.. Hit, who inquired as to the
status of those who had no distinctive ma
tionsl language, and asked If they would
be shut out, according to the gentleman's
construction of the law, Mr.. Ba rtholdt said
three languages had official recognition in
Switzerland, and the immigrant from that
country could choose among them.
Many members interrogated Mr.. Bar
tholdt with 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 perfect
the measure, SO as not to expose desirable
immigrants to the jeopardy involved In
the present form of the bill. Several sug-
gestions were made as to the best manner,
in which to secure this end, but friends
of the bill found none of them acceptable
A man is beginning to have sense when
he realizes that he has something to be
thankful for.