The Birmingham age-herald., 1902-05-27
E oSlY pAIl7 NEWSPAPER IN ALABAMA
nr. Underwood's Educational Test.

r.
 When Congressman Underwood dis cussed in general debate the inn migration question on Wednesday of last week, he perhaps did not foresee the fierce battle of the following day. Although gen. eral debate upon the bill had been closed and the bill was being read by paragraphs in committee of the whole under the f1ve-minute rule, a pithy and memorable debate sprang up, and the protection of the laborer himself from the pauper labor of Southern Europe had due eonsfderation.
 The subject is broad and important, and we therefore give MT. Underwoods amendment complete, just as it was adopted without the addition of a slight amendment naming the ports where immigrants could land, which MT. Underwood readily accepted:
 That in addition to the persons ex- cluded under the foregoing section, ad- mission into the United States shall be denied to all persons over 15 years of age and physically capable of reading who can not read the English language or some other language; but an admis- sible immigrant or person now in or hereafter admitted to this country may bring in or send for his wife, his chil- dren under IS years of age. and his par ents or grandparents over 50 years of age, if they are otherwise admissible, whether they are so able to read or not
 That for the purpose of testing the ability of the immigrant to read the in spection officers shall be furnished with copies of the constitution of the United States, printed on uniform pasteboard slips, each containing not less than 20 nor more than 25 words of said constitution printed in the various languages of the Immigrants in double small pica type Each immigrant may designate the lan- guage in which he prefers the test shall be made, and shall be required to read the words printed on slip in such lan- guage. No two immigrants listed on the same manifest shall be tested with the same slip. An immigrant failing to read as above provided shall not be admitted, but shall be returned to the country from which he came at the expense of the steamship or railroad company which brought him."
 MT. Underwood explained the object and purpose Of the amendment. He desires, in short, to promote immigra- tion from northern Europe and to re- strict that from southern Europe. He wants Swedes instead of Huns, Ger mans instead of Slavs, and Irishmen instead of Polanders. He wants an educational test for all newcomers, holding it to be the duty of Congress to protect the country from undesir- able immigration, to uplift the wage earner at home, and to maintain the American standard of living. As President Gompers puts it-"cheap labor, ignorant labor, takes our jobs and cuts our wages" and the object of MT. Underwood's amendment is to prevent all this.
 He was antagonized by the chair and naturalization, and especially by MT. Bartholdt, Republican from Mis-
 
 calling for an examination of each im- migrant by the consular service, but at the end ofthe long debate, lasting all day, the Bartholdt proposition was defeated. and when MT. Underwood called for a vote on his educational test the House accepted it by a vote { of S6 to '. It was a splendid victory alike for labor and for the protection of the country.
 The bill is a House bill, and 1t may not become law at this session, and then again it may, for an educational test for immigrants has thrice been passed by the Senate-once when it was Democratic and once when it was Republican. The Senate has always been inclined to an educational test, and if no strong corporate influence is brought to bear the House bill may become a law at this session. It cer- tainly will at the next session, and it will be essentially an Underwood bill.
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