The herald and news. [volume] (Newberry S.C.) 1903-1937, 1907-10-25

| BIZ the people. Inc SENATE paSee" az
immigration bill last winter. provld-
iny for the illiteracy test. Ihe
House disagreed to the illiteracy test
and ii became necessary to effect
compromise between the TWO Houses
in order to obtain legislation This
compromise resulted in provision
providing for the appointment OF
commission, composed of three mem
bers Of the Senate, three members OF
the House and three lay-rnembers, to
be appointed by the president OF the
United States. Being a member OF
the Senate committee on immigration,
I was appointed on this commission.
The duty Of the commission, as out
; lined in the bill, was to investigate
the subject of immigration in all OF
it's phases, both in the United States
and in foreign countries and report
it's findings to congress, with a view
Of obtaining intelligent legislation on
this important subject.
"At the first meeting Of the COM
mission, which was held in Washing
ton, on April %, it was decided that
| a part Of the commission should visit
Europe, and the part of the commits,
sion, who could not make the Euro
pean trip, should make investigation
in. the United States. This decision
resulted in Senator Dillingham;, Sena--.
tor Latimer, Congressmen Burnett,
Howell and Bennett, and MI. Wheeler
going to Europe We neither went
to Europe to encourage or discourage
/ immigration, but to find out the class
I Of immigrants, who we're coming to
the United States; from whence they
were coming; the conditions surround
ing Ghem in their homes; the wages.
paid; the cost Of living and climatic
conditions, so that We might judge
somewhat of their adaptability to the
conditions that exist in the United
States. This investigation has not
yet been completed, nor is the report
of the committee yet in shape for
presentation to. congress, and what l
have said and shall say in regard to
the question, till be simply my own
views on the Subject.
F'I have no objection to people
coming to the United States Or to
South Carolina, who will add to ou:
citizenship, strengthen our institu-
tions and help perpetuate the govern
ment under which we live.
"Less than 100000 people came in
to the United States last year from
Northern Europe, which embraces
Germany, Holland and Belgium,
Switzerland, France, England, Ire
land, Scotland, Norway, Denmark and
Sweden; and the class of immigrants,
who come from the countries referred
to, who come into the United States
under our present immigration laws
are unobjectionable. In all Of these
countries they have compulsory edu-
cation, and the percentage of edueat-
ed people compares favorably with
that of any part of the United States;
they have also been accustomed to a
form Of government Of which they
largely approve and for which they
have large degree of respect, but
in Southern Europe you find condi-
tions very different. In Russia, Aus
tria and Hungary and further south,
you find a aigh per cent Of illiteracy
among the people, running anywhere
from thirty to sixty Per cent. They
have been accustomed to military gov
ernment and are kept in subjection
by military rule. They are largely Of
low origin, and in my judgment, will
in no way be advantageous to our
citizenship under Republican form
of government such as we have in
the United States, and I am for re-
stricting this class of immigrants to
the lowest minimum possible by fur
ther amendments to our immigration
laws. In fact. we have not had this
class Of immigrants to contend with
until the last few years. I do not
believe that the social or wage con-
ditions in South Carolina are such
that we can reap any material bene- !
fit from people who come here from
Southern Europe. as we pay lower !
wages in the south than are being