The record-union., 1898-01-12
Fairbanks Addresses the Senate on
the immigration Bill.
FaVors the Imposing Of a Moderate and Rea-
sondhle Educational Test.
A Motion to Close Debate on the
Civil Service Bill in the House
Results in Tie Vote, the
Speaker Casting the Deciding
Vote in Favor of the Motion.

Vote in Favor of the Motion.
WASHINGTON, Jan. 1.-THE Senate
to-day briefly discussed an adverse re-
port by the Pensions Committee on a
bill to pension General Meade's two
daughters at $500 a month each, Chair
man Allinger saying the committee did
not wish to enter on the pensioning Of
daughters of veterans.
Allen of Nebraska thought that Cen
eral Meade's services justified such lib
crafty.
No action was taken
Woicott of Colorado announced a
speech on the money question for next
Monday.
Allen introduced and secured the
adoption of a resolution calling upon
the President for the information in his
possession relative to the boundary line
between Venezuela and British Guiana,
and to inform the Senate whether the
United States now has any clerks or
other employees at work on the Vene-
zuelan boundary question, and also what
part of the $1,000 appropriated for
the Venezuelan Commission has been
expended.
Senator Fairbanks then addressed the
Senate on immigration.
Fairbanks began by referring to the
importance of guarding and preserving
the high standard of the country's pop
ulation and citizenship. The pending
bill, he said, by imposing a moderate
and reasonable education test upon all
immigrants over is years of age, throws
population and citizenship.
Prior to 1875 he continued, "there
were 70 restrictive laws except those
prohibiting 1oolie trade. In that year
more drastic measures We're enacted to
suppress this reprehensible traffic. and
convicts and women imported for i'm
moral purposes We're excluded.
Subsequently further restrictive acts
were passed aiming to reduce the inflow
Of the morally and physically diseased.
The presence of these restrictive acts
upon the statute books has been bene-
fetal, though the number who present
ed themselves at our ports and were
excluded is comparatively small But,
eoubtle-s.ssp were deferred from
starting by a knowledge of the laws in
force
Beginning with the last decade, a
change occurred in both the nationality
and quality Of our immigration Those
who were chiefly Of the Slavonic coun-
tries began to come in great and in
creasing numbers. Among them were
many very desirable acquisitions; many
from the better portions of Italy, Aus
tria-Hungary and other Eastern and
Southern countries were educated. en-
terprsing and brave, but the larger
portion were ill-fitted to become a part
of orr population or to assume the
privileges and responsibilities of Amer
lean citizens. They possessed a low
order of intelligence and a degraded
standard of life, and had no adequate
conception of the marvellous significance
of our institutions.
"a rise in the ratio of immigration
from Eastern and Southern Europe
from 80 to OIL per cent in seventeen
years, and fall in the ratio from the
western and northern countries from
64.o to 80 per cent. in the same pc
Rod, may well lead us to pause and
inquire whether the change is in the
national interest
THE decrease in immigration has
erto sent us but a small per cent. of
illiterates, and the increase is from
countries where the ignorance is the
greatest. Thirty-nine and nine-tenths
per cent. of those above IA years of
age coming from Austria Hungary. It
ally, Poland and Russia last year could
neither. read of write, while only SO
per cent. of those from the United
Kingdom, France Germany and Scan
dinavia were illiterates When we wit
ness this increased illiterate ae6essions
to our population we may we'll recall
the warning Of George William Curtis:
Let US beware how we water our life
blood
In conclusion. Mr.. Fairbanks quoted
at length statistics tending to show
the excessive contribution of the coun-
try's foreign population to the number
of inmates Of almShouses penitenti-
aries. insane asylums and reformatory
institutions. He insisted that the ed
vocational test, as applied to immi-
grants. would have a very direct effect
in reducing the number of contribu-
tons TO the foregoing unfortunate OBJ
jectionable classes. The gravitation of
undesirable emigrants into the large
cities, and their reinforcement of the
SUM districts, was another of the evils
to be in measure overcome. In this
connection the speaker declared that a
patriotic regard for those to whose in
terests we owe first allegiance requires
us TO see that the persons who present
themselves for competition in the in
dustrial field shall not be the degraded,
pauper laborers from abroad A low
wage scale. he added, is not consistent
with the most wholesome development
of the country and its people
After this speech the Senate went
into executive session.
The Senate devoted almost an hour
of the first part Of the executive session
to a wrangle over the recommittal of
the nominations Of one or two minor
officials confirmed yesterday, and did
not take up the Hawaiian treaty until
between and 3 o'clock
Senator Davis took the floor at that
hour and proceeded to deliver speech
in support of the treaty. He represent
ed the majority of the Committee on
Foreign Relations, and his speech was
accepted as practically the committees
report upon the treaty. Mr.. Davis
spoke at length, and held from the first
the closest attention of the Senate.