The Washington times., 1902-05-22
Educational Qualification
for Incoming Aliens
Discussed.
GENERAL SHATTUC SPEAKS
Explains That the Measure Codities
Existing Laws-Proposes Exclusion
of Anarchists-Mr. Williams An
nounces Intention of Amending.

nounces Intention of Amending.
For three hours yesterday the House
wrestled with the problem of immigra
tion.
amount of miscellaneous business the
Committee on Rule reported a privi-
legged resolution mai .g the Shattuc i'm
migration bill z. ial order for i'm
mediate consideration. and to continue
SO until finally disposed of. The reso-
luton was adopted without dissent. and
the House went irto Committee of the
Whole to discuss the measure.
The bill as il came from the COM
mittee Oh immigration and Naturaliza-
ton. of which General Shattuc is chair
man. is codification of the immigra-
ton laws which has been recommended
by the executive departments for long
time. Much of the debate yesterday.
however, was devoted to discussion of
an educational qualification for the adj
mission of aliens into this country for
the purpose of becoming citizens.
Will Offer Amendment.
Representative Underwood dem.
Ala.) gave notice that at the proper
time he would offer an amendment to
the bill providing that immigrants into
this country shall he able to read por-
ton Of the Constitution of the United
States in Errl--N or their native tongue.
He deliver gorous speech in sup
port of til sition.
II was ocated by Representa-
tive Watson D., Ind, who earlier
in the session introduced a bill EN-
bodying substantially the provisions o:
the proposed amendment.
representative Kleberg Dem., Texas)
and Representative Grosvenor (Rep-.
ohio) opposed the educational test.
General Shattuc was the first speaker
on the bill. He entered into an elabor-
ate explanation of the provisions of the
measure and an exhaustive discussion OF
the subject OF immigration.
He said the bare statement that the
number OF immigrants received into the
United States during the past eighty
years equals more than one-quarter OF
the present population. and that more
thi.r ne-half NEARLY thirds) has
been received in the last thirty years,
presents in a concrete form the magni-
tude of the immigration problem.
I'm the years gone by this constant
stream of immigrants" he said. has
been welcomed TO our shores. partly as
q valuable contribution 10 the Drawn and
brain that pcopled the prairies of the
West and transformed them into the rich
pride and strengthen our nation today,
and partly because a large number Of
them came TO escape wrong. oppression.
and human suffering akin to that from
which the Pilgrim Fathers fled when
they crossed the ocean to found in new
and unknown land government wherein
they could have homes and worship God
according TO the dictates of their own
consciences.
A Polluting Element.
In later years. 1t has developed. new
elements have been purposely injected
into the stream which, unless checked,
threaten not only TO seriously pollute 1t.
but also to thrust upon our nation and
the States burdens they should not be
called upon to bear.
by reason Of this change the feeling
of welcome which had hailed the incom-
ing immigrant from 1921 to 1915
changed to one OF alarm lest the un-
guarded gate might allow entrance too
freely to elements discordant and not
easily assimilated. as we'll as burden
some and harmful TO the best interests
OF the country.
Hence there has arisen the demand.
growing more ard more insistent, that
restrictive meas res should be enacted
to regulate the aux and sift the quail
ity OF the fnc, 2g aliens. This de-
mand has been PARTLY pacihed by legis-
Iation Of a restrictive nature during the
past twenty years. having the purpose.
first. to prevent assisted immigration
brought here under contract TO perform
the labor done by and take the places OF
workmen alreaNy here and employed in
mine and field and factory; and. sec
ond. TO prohibit and prevent the prac-
tice OF foreign countries making the
United States the dumping ground for
the paupers. vicious. insane. and Grim
fnal classes OF other nations.
ITO meet and check the importation
OF labor under contract the alien con-
tract labor law OF February IS, 1885,
was passed. mainly at the demand OF
the knights of Labor, then the most
powerful of the national organizations
representing the labor OF the country.
ITO correct the other evils realized
and complained OF various statutes have
been enacted during the past thirty
years. from which results more or less
beneficial have been attained.
An interesting fact is shown by com
pairing the immigration with the popu
lation.
by this test the maximum was in
1854, when the ratio was ls2 immigrants
to each 1000 OF population, while the
average from 1s47 to 1854. inclusive, was
1865 per 1000
The Lowest Ratio.