The Austin weekly statesman. (Austin, Tex.) 1883-1898, 1897-02-25
THE RESTRICTIVE MEASukE l'
NOW READY FOR THE FIRES
IDENT'S SIGNATURE.
PRINCIPAL FEATURES OF THE BILL
The Educational Test Is Not 10 Separate
Canadian and Mexican La
Dor Restricted-Vote in Senate:
Yeas, "a; Nays, 81.

last legislative step having peeh '"N'''
in the senate today by an agreement 10
the conference report on the bill strohS
opposition was made to the report. nut
on the final vote the friends of the meas
ure rallied, the vote being. yeas. 81; nays
81. The bill as passed extends the I'LL
migration restrictions against 'aIl per-
sons physically capable and over III years
of age who can not read and write the
English language or some other language,
but person not so able TO read or write
who is over 30 years of age ana Is the
parent or grandparent of quallled M
migrant over p years of age and capable
of supporting such parent or grandparents
may accompany such immigrant. or such
parent or Srandparent may be sent for
and can join the family of Il child or
grandchild over 81 years of age similarly
qualified and capable, and Il wife or
minor child not so able to read and write
may accompany or be sent for and come
to join the husband or parent similarly
qualified and capable
For the purpose of testing the immi-
grants literary abilities, he is compelled
TO read and write from twenty to twenty
five words of the United States conStitu-
ton. Aside from these extensions of
the present law. the bill inaugurateS Il
new system of restricting immigration
from border countries and destined 10 ap-
ply principally to immigration from
Canada.
The provisions are as follows:
Section 4. That it shall hereafter be
unlawful for any male alien. who has not
in good faith made his declaration before
the proper court of his intention to be-
come a citizen of the United States. to
be employed on any public works of the
United States or to come regularly or
habitually into the United States. by
land or water, for the purpose of en-
gaging in any mechanical trade or
manual labor for wages or salary, return
ing from time to time to Il foreign coun-
try.
Sec. ). That it shall be unlawful for
any person, partnership, company or cor
pOratiOn knowingly to employ any alien
coming into the United States in viola
ton of the next preceding section of this
act, provided that the provisions of this
act shall not apply to the employment of
sailors, deck hands or other employees on
vessels or railway train hands, such as
conductors, engineers, brakemen, tiremen
or baggagemen. whose duties require them
to pass over the frontier to reach the
termini of their runs, or to boatmen or
guides on the lakes or rivers on the
northern border of the United States
A violation of these sections is made
a misdemeanor. punishable by fine up to
$4,000 or imprisonment up to one year or
both.
A special provision exempts from the
provision of the law persons arriving
from Cuba during the continuance of the
present disorder there. The law is to
take effect July l next.
During the morning hour Mr. Allen
(pop) of Nebraska spoke on his reSOlu-
ton respecting dismissals from office al
Omaha, Neb. He said the alleged causes
senator said that two ladies were dis
charged from office because they eX-
hibited Bryan's picture in their windows.
There were six other ladies who had
Mckinleys pictures in their windows,
but they were not discharged. The
ladies who displayed the Bryan pictures
did it in honor of citizen of their state,
and yet. Mr. Allen said. this administra-
ton had brought about the discharges.
The senator cited other cases of men
who had been dismissed he alleged. be-
cause they had spoken for Bryan.
Mr.. Allen declared from this that it
appeared that the civil service law was
a fraud and delusion and the civil SER
vice commission was using it for most
unworthy purposes.
Mr.. Aliens resolution, calling on the
civil service commission for full infor-
nation as to the South Omaha dis
charges, was then agreed to.
Mr.. Lodge (rep.) of Massachusetts then
brought forward the conference report on
the immigration bill.
Mr.. Lodge explained that the bill. as
now presented. modified the language of
the educational provision by recurring
that the immigrant must read the Eng
fish or some other language. The Cor
liss amendment relative to the Canadian
border immigration was retained.
Mr.. Palmer ldem.) of Illinois opposed
the report. He said he knew Of no
sentiment for which he had greater de-
testation than "nativism." He held the
right of migration and repatriation TO
be essential to the liberty of the indi-
vidual This bill was an extension Of
the same sentiment of nativism.
Mr.. Palmer pointed out defects in VA
rious sections. The test of illiteracy
would, he said, operate against Il worthy
class and not against the dangerous men.
''the brawling anarchists" who were
able to read and write.
He said the restrictions on Canadian
border immigration were without n mar.
allel in the legislation of the world. II
tt.n al l,l
in the land of the free and the home of
the brave" With the adoption Of tbis
miserable. narrow policy, our neiphhorS
north and south. would be invited ia
adopt Il similar course. 1t was an ON.
rage. he declared, on the comfy Of M
tons and the civilization of the age.
Mr.. Carter (Rep.) of Montana also on
posed the report. He hoped the hin
would be recommitted in order that he
might move an amendment providing thar
the restrictions should not apply to n res.
ident citizen of any country on this bem.
isphere. He said the border restrictions
were worse than any civilized countrr
practiced today. The United States had
assumed to speak for the people of This
hemisphere and to proclaim n policy for
the Americans, north and south And
yet this pernicious and drastic restrictinr
against those to the north and south ~
us was proposed. 1t would. Mr., Cartor
declared. lead to retaliation by every go nv.
ernment on this hemisphere, thus ARA
ing us against our neighbors. 'H'
Mr.. Caffery ldem.) of Louisiana sn,l.o
against the general principle of rost rine
ing immigration. In this connectiou =.
read letter from the novelist 0nid ne
against restricting Italian immigroumtusa
The senator said the Italians coming frnS,