The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1898-02-15
In CRADLE
OF LIBERTY.
Meeting of Opponents Of
Lodge Bill Held.
RESOLUTIONS ADOPTED.
Author OF the Measure Criticised
by the Speakers.
Mr.. COLLINS TELLING SPEECH.

Boston, Feb. 15.-The restriction or
immigration as proposed by Hie lodge
bill now before congress was objected
to i'm this city last night In the form of
an enthusiastic rally in Faneuil hall
Many prominent citizens Of Boston lent
their presence to the meeting to show
their opposition TO restricted immigra-
tion among theEi being Godfrey Morse,
William Lloyd Garrison, Patrick A.
Collins, Rev. Charles Fleischer and Rev.
Il. +. Trueblood
Godfrey Morse asked II there was no
more room for settlers, when we have
millions Of acres OF land lying idle i'm the
great west. What is the quality of the
educational test the people OF the Ha-
waiian islands could stand, and could
they read 20 lines OF the constitution?
TIT great trouble lies i'm the improper
distribution of our immigrants, and on
this point we should center our atten-
ton and distribute properly rather than
restrict improperly our immigration.
Mr.. Trueblood cited reasons why the
Lodge bill should be defeated. 1t is the
people OF the seaboard states who urge
the doctrine of restriction while the
people of the central and western states
protest against II. He questioned the
statement that the United States has a
sufficient number of people, and said
entire population would fit comfortably
into the state of Texas. The friends of
Mr. Lodges bill received sarcastic re-
marks at his hands when he referred TO
them as native American demagogues.
who scorn the immigrants now. but rush
60 Lee
box. In closing he said that IL the bill
was signed 1t would be a miserable fail
ure and would bring us into contempt OF
every nation on the earth
Mr.. Garrison believed the rights Of the
poor, ignorant foreigners who came to
our shores are as sacred as those of the
junior Massachusetts senator. The fall
lacy OF the educational test is that IL
would create new business for men to
go over to Europe and, returning. teach
q. shipload Of illiterates to pass the test.
Letters ofregret from Congressman John
f. Fitzgerald and President Eliot of
Harvard university were read.
Rev. Mr. Fleischer said the Lodge bill
was partisan movement, and claimed
that Senator Hoar had done more injury
10 humanity than the votes of 1000 IL
literate immigrants could possibly dc.
He read a set OF resolutions protesting
against the enactment of the bill into a
law. The resolutions set forth that
America is still land of immigrants.
and from the time Of the pilgrim fathers
to our own day has been the refuge OF
the oppressed seeking life. Liberty and
happiness" on these shores: that human
migration is merely an obedience to
natural law; that education and moral
ity do not necessarily go hand in hand:
that ability to read or write does. not
serve as test OF manhood or Of worth:
that neither the Industrial interests OF
the laboring classes, nor the political
interests of the nation and the principles
OF democracy are menaced by the freest
Influx of all not barred from this coun-
try Dy existing immigration laws. The
resolutions were unanimously adopted
Mr.. Morse reviewed the principle OF
Thomas Jefferson TO open this country
TO the world. and the result is that TODAY
we are the greatest and most prosper
Gus people in the world. In the. great
crisis these foreign-bor Americans
lifted the flag from the dust. led by such
men as Sherman and Sheridan.
Mr.. Collins made forcible remarks on
the educational test, and cited numbers
of men who have guided the ship of state
and led our armies whose parents per-
haps could not read nor write a line OF
our constitution. He admitted the Just
ness OF setting barriers against the un-
desirable, but the bill on the contrary
offers inducements to that class which
eventually becomes a public menace.
and bars the WAY "a on ,ct tboSa x,-ho an
our factories and till our fields, simply
because th' : could not read 20 lines of
our constitution.