The farmer and mechanic., 1906-06-12
SIMMONS ON IMMIGRATION
The Full Text of What Many Say the Greatest Speech
MIR. Simmons Has Made in the Senate

tt6tHIItHdtd from many sources upon
his recent speech on the immigration
bill in the Senate. He has tas>eu "a
! leading part iii the immigration de
bate. and. while a Jealous advocate
Of immigration OF the right kind he
| is in favor Of restrictions to keep out
the undesirable class. tits speech ia
fun is as follows.
The Senate, as IN Committee Of the
! Whole, having under consideration the
! 5Ill g. 1909 10 amend au act eu-
| titled An act 10 regulate the immi-
grafton of aliens into the United
states, approved March ;. 1905
Mr. Simmons said:
Mr.. President: The propositions
contained III the amendment Just read
are not new propositions, and espec-
iaIly the ilr5t propositions which pro
) 'Eides an educational test for iInui-
grants. When We reach Il vote / shall
ask to divide the question ana vote
upon each proposition separately
The proposition to require an edu-
catiOnaI test for immigrants has here
tofore received discussion and indorse-
Inent from both Houses Of Congress,
from President Mckinley President
Roosevelt ana more tnan once from
the Commissioner of immigration. In
the Fifty-fourth Congress II proposition
Ito apply the educational test to imlni-
grants was passed by both Houses. In
the House the vote in favor Of that
bill was 1875 to 20. In the Senate it
was passed by the decisive vote of 81
to 10. That bill Gid not become Il law
by reason Of the veto of President
Cleveland 1t was passed in the House
over his veto by 4 Vore of 1913 to 81,
but failing to receive the requisite
ItWo-thirds vote in the 3enatc, it did
not become a law.
Again, in the F'ifty-Gfth Congress
la bill emDodying an educational test
passed the Senate by vote of 45 to
IS; ana, again in the Fifty-seventh
Congress a bill applying an educa-
tional test in the form Of an amend
ment to House bill 12191 was adopted
By vote Of 81 to l.
1t cannot, therefore, be said that
this amendment proposes a new prin-
ciple in legislation, it having four times
received the emphatic Endorsement of
one or the other branches OF Congress.
The Republican national platform for
the year 1896 declared in positive and
emphatic terms in favor Of excluding
Immigrants who could not read and
write. | read from that platform:
For the protection OF the quality of
our American citizenship and Of the
wages Of our Wor!>in2incn against the
Fatal competition OF low priced Labor,
Ne demand that the immigration laws
be thoroughly enforced. ana 50
tended as to exclude from entrance
to the United States those who can
not read nor write.
Not only that. Mr. President, but
President Mckinley, who was elected
upon that platform in his inaugural
address delivered March 4 1897. rec
ognized and indorsed, m the broadeSt
and most comprehensive terms, the
principle involved in this amendment.
quote f,om that address:
Our naturalization and immigration
laws should be further improved TO
the constant promotion OF n safe, Il
better, and Il higher citizenship.
grave peril to the Republic would be
IL citizenship too ignorant to under
stand or too vicious to appreciate the
great value and bcncGcence OF our in
Stitutions and laws. and against all
who com" here TO war upon them our
gates must be promptly and tightly
closed.
Not only President Mckinley, but
our, present Chief Executive, Mr.
Roosevelt, in his message to Congress
December B. 1901, indorsed the educa-
tional test proposed in my amendment
in the most positive language. Here is
what he says upon this subject:
Our present immigration laws are
unsatisfactory. We need every honest
and efficient Immigrant fitted to be
come AN American citiZen-eVery i'm
migrant who comes here to stay. who
brings here a strong body. a stout
heart. Il good head. and IL reSoIutc pur-
pose to do his duty well in every way
and to bring up his children as law
abiding and GOufearing members OF
the community. But there should be
Il comprehensive laW enacted with the |
object OF working 4 threcfold improve
me1t over our present system.
The second object
Says President Roosevelt in this /
Of u proper immigration law ought
to be to secure by IL careful and not !
merely perfunctary educational test
some intelligent capacity to appre- |
ciatc American institutions and act
S;sneIy as American citizens
This would not keep out all anar- |
chistS. for many OF them belong to |
the Intelligent criminal classes. But
ii would do what is also in pOint-I
that is. tend to decrease the sum OF
ignorance. 50 potent in producing the /
envy. suspicion. malignant passion. and /
hatred Of order. out OF which anar-
chiStic sentiment mentally springs
Again, during the same Congress |
in second message, sent to the Sen |
ate December , 1902 President
Roosevelt reiterated the recommends |
tion made by him in his message of /
December 8 1901. In this message
the President said:
L again call your attention to the
need of passing a proper. immigration
iaW. covering the points outlined i'm ~,
message to YOU at the first session
Of the present Congress
Continuing the President saws.
Substantially such a bill has al
ready passed the House.
L have here the bill referred to by
the President. The President calls 5, |
a Dill III his message but as a mac
ter OF fact. it was an amendment 10
the imlnigra ton bill which passed the
House at that session of Congress IN
troduced by one of the Representatives