Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1906-06-26
HOPE FOR REFUGEES
House Adopts immigration Bill
Amendment Which Is In
Their Favor
DEBATE ON HEAD TAX
Grosvenor Opposed Amendment, and
When Section Regarding Education.
al Text Arose, Presented substi'
tute to That Which is Provided in
the 5ill--substitute Adopted.

Washington, June 26.-The recent
atrocities in Russia, resulting in the
killing of many Jews and the murders
ct Kishineff, came in for strong and
vigorous speeches on the part of Mr.
Littauer of New York and Mr.. Golde-
fogle of New York during considera-
ton of the immigration bill in the
Il house yesterday. Mr.. Lttauer offered
the following amendment, which was
adopted without division:
An immigrant who proves that he
Is seeking admission to this country
solely to avoid prosecution or punish
ment on religious or political grounds
for an offense of political character
or persecution involving danger of inn
L prisonment or damage to life or limb
on account of religious belief shall not
be deported because of want of means
or the probability of his being unable
TO earn a livelihood
He spoke sympathetically of the po-
itical refugees who, driven from home
seek this country because of their be-
& lief, almost amounting to a fetch, that
here religious prosecution is un-
known.
Two distinct camps developed during
the consideration OF this section Of the
bill, both intent OIL achieving victory,
and the amendment to the committee
4 bill reducing the TAX from SIS to 50,
was debated earnestly by Mr.. Steiner
< M innpCnt.a M r. q I'd n ny Of
Massachusetts, Mr.. Bennett of New
York, Mr. Bartholdt of Missouri, and
Mr.: Burnett of Alabama
A Head Tax.
1t was insisted or the one hand that
1 = $500 head tax would tend to de-
crease the number of aliens and tend
10 exclude the less desirable. Mr. Ben
nett and Mr.. Bartholdt, however, be-
lieved that the amendment was in
/ tended to keep out the southern Ital-
ians, the Hungarians, the Poles, and
the Slovaks. 1t was their opinion
that it would penalize immigrants
such as the Germans, Danes, Swedes,
Norwegians, Firms Irish, Scotch, and
English who came usually with large
families
In supporting the amendment Mr..
Goldfogle said he favored even a
broader provision which would exempt
the prosecuted refugee from the edu-
cational qualification test. America,
he said, had always been regarded as
the haven to which, if the immigrant
was worthy he could come to escape
from the tyranny, race intolerance, and
oppression to which he had been sub
jected in his native land. Now that
the streets of Russia ran red with blood
of the victims of persecution and the
civilization of the world had been
slammed by the wholesale slaughter
Of inoffensive men, women and chill
6ren, Americans ought not to close the
door to those who are kneeang to this
country for protection.
Mr.. Grosvenor opposed the amend
ment on the ground that he did not
want the Immigration inspectors at the
port of entry constituted tribunal to
pass upon the question of religious be-
lief which the government had care
fully avoided in all the past.
The section relating to the educa-
tional test was then taken up, and Mr..
DENLY of Michigan offered the follow
ing amendment, which was adopted:
Provided, further. in case of an inn
migrant who proves that he is seeking
admission to this country solely to
avoid religious persecution or punish
ment on religious or political grounds
or for an offense of a political charact-
ter or persecution involving danger of
Imprisonment or danger to life or limb
on account of religious belief, such inn
migrant may be admitted, altho unable
to satisfy the educational. test provided
in this section, at the discretion of the
secretary of commerce and labor or un-
der such religious freedom as he may
from time to time prescribe.
Mr.. Grosvenor of Ohio presented a
substitute for the educational test as
provided for in the bill, the following
being its important provision:
Educational Test.
'tThat the commission is hereby
created, consisting Of two senators to
be appointed by the president of the
senate and three members of the house
OF representatives to be appointed by
the speaker of the house Of representa-
tives and two citizen members to be
appointed by the president of the
United States. Said commission shall
inquire, examine and investigate into
the subject of immigration
: = 7 u fs s
The Grosvenor amendment was then
put to a vote and was adopted by an
exceedingly close vote. the decision of |
the chair in the first instance being
that the amendment was defeated
A vote by tellers showed however. a
different condition. and the amend |
ment was adopted 1913 to Liz. This SUBJ
stitutes the commission for the educa
fiopa1 test nrovi Sjnn Tho hill was then
passed by the house without division.
The amendment also provides:
Said commission shall report to
congress the conclusions reached by it,
and make such recommendations a S in
in it's judgment it may deem proper"
SUMNER HOTELS PERNicIous.
Dr.. Madison c. Peters Declares That
They Are Hotbeds Of Sin.
Z Nnr,, 1n,r,a lie