The mirror. (Stillwater, Minn.) 1894-1925, 1905-04-13
Mr.. President, Hon. Judges, and I
l0acS of the Piea'i071 Circle:

tO2CS OF tv6 fI6TTIU CJTct6:
4 Number of years ago it was my
~ good fortune to hear the late
n John J. Ingalls, deliver an ora
tion, during the course of which
he declared-s substantially as remem-
ber it: "America is land of freedom,
the birthplace of religious liberty, the
nursery of free speech, cradle for
the arts and sciences of modern times,
and a refuge for the prosecuted of all
other lands"
Now, if you please-and with all due
respect to the illustrious Ingalis-we
will recast that last clause by simply
substituting the word undesirable"
for the word "persecuted,' thereby CIV
ing us sentence that-in effect-de-
clares America to be refuge for the
undesirable of all other lands And
there you have my text.
In addressing myself to the affirma-
tion of the question at issue l can con-
scientiously say that 1 believe the
matter of our immigration constitutes
the most vital, and inevitable, problem
that has confronted the American peo-
pie since the civil war.
America is, beyond any manner of
doubt, a veritable dumping ground for
the most undesirable elements of
European life, and the question is of
the greater moment in that the number
of aliens admitted during the month of
February, 1905, exceeded by one hun
dred and fifty per cent the number ad-
mitted during the corresponding month
of any previous year. Believ-
ing as 1 do that this increasing
tide of immigration threatens
the decay--perhaps the permanent
decay-of our most cherished institu-
tions, l shall fail of my purpose
just in as far as shall fail to convince
you that the outgrowth-the ultimate
consequence-of this influx of wretch
edness and ignorance is matter that
should concern every rIght-minded
person, and, as matter of fact
we are not without evidence
that the public is awakening
to the enormity of this question and
even now, sentiment in favor of re-
striction is already strong.
In opening for the affirmative g
proponent is necessarily somewhat
handicapped in that he does not know
the specific brand of thunder to be un
corked by his opponent, still-while
am no exception to the rule-I thint
am safe in assuming that the respond
ent will be consistent and pursue th'
same general line of reasoning-if W,
may so term it-that has characterized
his remarks here on divers OCCASION
when this matter has been open TO
informa! discussion.
You will recall that on one occasion
he stood here in our immediat
presence, with tears in his eyes, an,
his hands upraised to the high heavens
and implored us not to manifest spiri
of selfshness; he told us-as 1 recall
it--that our forefatheIs had emigrate,
to the shores of America an,
that they were glad to ge
here. Now, | concede the gentleman
right to catalogue his own ancestry a
best serves his purpose, but when h
attempts to place your ancestors, an
my ancestors, in the same categor
with the twentieth century Immigrant
then enter a vigorous protest.
When he even mentions the tw
classes in the same breath he not onl
speaks of thing and it's antithesi
but he insults our intelligence, and
would be quite as consistent for me t
stand here IN your presence and like
the forces of Niagara to therippling {
the waves down here in Lake Sair
Croix.
Our forefathers encountered nor
of the conditions that are proving s
attractive to the immigrant of toda
They were impelIed by none of IL
~sOrdid motives that actuate the mo,