The Washington times., 1902-02-20
WOULD ENFORCE
IMMIGRATION LAW

1
able 10 read or write Thanks to hi
wife's efforts he learned to write hi
name and to laboriously smell his wa
| through a chapter of the Bible. HrCsiden
Andrew johnson never went to school
day in his life. 1t was while he was
! tailor's apprentice that he learned t
read. After marriage his wife taught hin
to write and cipher. 1t is therefore NOR
than probable shat he was the son 0
I illiterate parents.
President Jackson's father. who wa
an Irish immigrant. may not have BEEF
an llterate. but he did not give his Sol
much Of an education. The boy Learned
to read. TO write. to cast up accounts
little mere [ dare say every member o
this committee knows many instances o
the sons of illiteratS immigrants workins
their way from poverty through education
and industry to the front ranks in every
walk Of life. Can any one OF you be IN
duced To put any impeachment in the way
7 of this rich nourishment to our national
/ life"
! 1t has been said that illiteracy is a
/ cause of drunkenness. II may be true,
/ but who can look about him and truthful
/ ly avouch il? Think, if you will. of the
men OF whom you have knowledge who
are drunkards and answer if the iitcrates
do not outnumber the illterates many
.
to our shores for work does not have
much time for 1runkenness-at least not
50 much as the average Iiterate.
No Cause for Crime.
Then We hear that illiteracy is one of
the great causes of crime. Is that true?
Who knows it? Can it truthfully be said
that illiteracy any more than literacy is
q cause of crime? Look backward and
think of the great crimes of the ages.
You have fingers enough on two hands to
count up those committed by illiterates.
Gould you ever finish enumerating those
committed by educated men and women?
Think of the crimes committed in your
own time and in your own State. Is it
not your verdict that the great majority
Of them have been committed by educated
persons? l believe it is true that the
iowly even to the illiterates have great
er reverence for law than the educated.
When ii is not a sentiment of reverence
which they have for the law it is one of
awe. and its restraining influence is just
as potent. If in some places, perchance,
a remarkable percentage of illiterates
were imprisoned for infractions of the
law, that fact would not be conclusive for
me that iliiteracy is particularly a cause
of crime.
Scale Tells story.
! should rather set it down in substan
tiation of what know to be true, namely.
that as men descend in the scale toward
the lowest class. the less likely they are
to escape the vengeance of'the law. They
have not the influence of wealth or great
friends, which are such powerful factors
in securing immunity for crime. / am
sure that this idea will be neither novel
nor startling to the lawyers of this
committee.
You have been told that organized
labor has endorsed the educational test
As | said in the beginning. | am not speak
ing for organized labor, but / think !
know enough about the subject TO say
that organized labor has not specifically
endorsed the educational test. And fur
thermore, l have heard your chairman's
question as to what would be the attitude
OF organized labor toward two immi-
grants, both healthy, strong, of good char
acter. willing to work, standing at our
gates knocking for admission.
Opinion Is Divided
Mr.. Chairman, l hope | know organ
lied labor well enough to say that there
is not a labor union in America which,
if it were given jurisdiction in such
case, would say TO the unfortunate who
could not read You go back, and to the
other, Stay. This would be the verdict
II one stays. both stay; If the one goes
back, both go.
mo. it is not the educational test that
the people want. They want the present
laws strengthened and enforced. They
want the officers charged with the execu-
tion of the laws given ample authority.
There should not be a scattered, and
therefore, impotent authority, as is now
the case
The authority to execute the laws
should be placed in the hands of one man
and he held to strict responsibility. Grim
inais, paupers, contract laborers, diseased
persons, and other Objectionable persons
contemplated in the law should be kept
out. You should make the law strong
enough 10 do this.
Close the LoophoIes.
'The loopholes have been pointed out
to you. Close them and then vote the
last dollar and commission the last Of
ficer to carry out the law. Do this. gen.
tlemen, and then no matter what your
party faith you can go before your con-
stituents with 4 feeling of security and
sense OF duty well done The doctrinaires
who preach the educational test will not
be able to make an impression on your
'Nou can say 10 your constituents:
voted to strengthen the laws and make
them adequate; | voted to place the au-
thority for the execution of the laws
where there could be no question as to
The responsibility; / voted the last dollar I
and the last man necessary TO execute |
those laws but | did not and never will 1
vote against the worthy and desirable |
immigrant who has been so unfortunate |
as not to be able to read
Labor Always Liberal
Place yourself in the attitude to be !
able TO make that speech to your con-
stituents and have no fear that the en-
ightened, humane sentiment of your peo-
pie will condemn YOU or the rank and file
IL organized labor be hostile toward you"
Al the conclusion of Mr. Kennedy's ad-
iress the committee went into executive
session and began consideration of the
)lil 10 codify and amend the immigration |
avs. The committee expect to eomplet. |
ne Dill ana report ii TO the House within
he next two weeks
Helen Schurman Recovering.
ITHACA. y. Y, Feb. l9.-Helen. the
ight-year-old daughter of President
acob Gould Schurman, who has been