Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1910-02-28
Objections to Proposed Immi-
grafton Legislation.
PROTEST TO PRESIDENT
Delegation Represents Newspapers
Published in Foreign Languages.
DISCUSSION OF RESTRICTIONS
Mr.. Taft Promises Visitors Shall Be
Heard Before Approval of
Law on Subject.

President Taft and Secretary Nagel
had long conference this morning with
representatives of $50 daily and weekly
newspapers published in foreign Ian
guages in the United States. who came
to Washington to vigorously protest
against several of the bills pending in
Congress aiming at restriction of i'm
migration. The delegation was headed
by l.. n. Hammerling. president OF the
American Association of Foreign News
papers. and in his address to the Presi-
dent he said that the special objection
was to the Hayes and Overman bills.
both designed to provide an educational
test. an increase OF the head tax and
exclusion of all males over sixteen
years Of age who do not possess $25.
Mr.. Hammerling said that the foreign
editors favor legislation having for its
purpose the exclusion of morally and
physically undesirable immigrants. but
any policy that shuts out desirable i'm
migrants.
He stated that an increase in the head
tax would be an imposition upon those
financial strain too hard to bear. They
could not approve an educational test,
either.
Four Points Presented.
The speaker concluded with the presen-
tation Of four facts which he regarded as
Of intense interest. vouched for as beyond
dispute. They are as follows:
1-Sixty-five per cent OF the farmers
owning farms and working as farm Ia
borers are people who came from Eur
ope during the last thirty years.
2-Of the $4,000 miners. mining the
coal to operate the great Industries, $780,
600 are our people.
3-Of the $4,000 steel and iron work
ers employed in the different plants
throughout the United States. 80 per
cent, according to the latest statistics
of the steel and iron industries. are our
people.
4-Ninety per cent of the labor en-
ployed for the last thirty years in build
ing the railways has been furnished by
cur Immigrant people. who are -
keeping the same in repair.
President Makes Reply.
In reply to the remarks of Mr.. Ham,
merling, the President spoke as follows:
II am not familiar with the legislation
to which you refer. Indeed. l have had
my mind. fixed on other legislation which
J am very anxious to secure the passage
of, and SO my attention has not until
now been called to this legislation.
The question of limiting immigration
in such a way as to shut out the undesir-
able part OF the population OF Europe:
which comes here rather by the artificial
stimulation of those whose interest It Is
to have as many come as possible. Is
a question which has addressed itself to
Congress I'm the past. They rejected-for
1 was present In Congress when It was
done-the educational limitation, on the
ground that the limitation was one which
did not shut out those whom we most
desired to shut out. on the theory that
little knowledge Is a dangerous thing and
that the anarchists man who comes here
with no loyalty to the new government
lis the man who could easily pass a
mental examination.
Promises Opportunity to Be Heard.
Now all I can say about this. because
l cannot commit myself to any particular
form of legislation, ia that in SO far as
am concerned ] shall sign no bill with
out giving you gentlemen who have come
here a full opportunity to be heard as to
the details of the bill and it's justice. 1t
is possible that I shall differ with you,
but think that where hearing Is given
safer conclusion Is likely to be reached.
I'm going about this country 1900
miles, as / did last year. the thing which
impressed me more than anything else
was the fact that the process through
which We had gone. Of welcoming immi-
grants from everywhere and mixing them
and amalgamating them with our popula-
ton, had produced a distinct type Of
American, as distinguished from any of
the people of which that type was made
up. and that therefore were we to inn
pose unjust burdens and stop immigra-
ton We should go back on that which
up to this time had enabled us to be a
great people.
Pleased With Conditions.
a. only want to say one more word. I
visited the East Side in New York about