New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1911-03-12
PLEADS FOR IMMIGRANTS
Rabbi Wise "AbhOrS Illlterate
Test That Lets in Anarchists"
REPUBLICAN CLUB DEBATE
Secretary Nagel and Senator
Dillingham; Take Part in
the Discussion.

Une OlSCUSSlOU.
Charles Nage. Secretary Of Commerce
and Labor. who is the son Of German
immigrant. and Senator W. =. Dillingham;
e Vermont. chairman OF the Senate Com
mittee on Immigra ton. led the discussion
on Immigration. How Far Should II re
Encouraged and How Far Restricted" at
the Republican Club yesterday afternoon.
What they said was almost entirely the
W ord Of unbiased government experts deal
ing with the administration Of immigia-
ton laws as they now exist. They were
followed. however. Ivy Prescott i. Han
secretary Of the immigration Restriction
League Of Boston.
Nj Hall called up the shades Of Wash
ington. Adams and jefferson. the latter Of
whom, he said, hoped AN ocean OF IRE
might roll between Europe and the United
States to stop immigration" In this fash
ion Mr. Hall aroused nsder1ble applause
in favor Of immigration restriction.
The real debate began when Or. stephen
5. Wise Of the Free Synagogue. rebuked
Mr. Hall for abiding to a shipload of i'm
migrants as "a cargo of human freight
Mr. Hall had ventured the assertion that
this country was too Corfoundedly opti-
mistic." and that it was Ike the man who
fell from the roof down an elevator shaft
in a twenty story building, and as he
whizzed by some workingmcn stationed on
the fifth floor cried out: II m all right
boys-sO far"
Or. Wise. with a display OF much feeling,
said he would much rather he "confounded-
~ optimistic than unfouniedly pessimis-
tic"
Again the Boston guest Of the club tried
10 show that only the nations of the mid
die north temperate zone Of the earth had
made good" in the history OF man. Or.
Wise jumped down TO the southern belt Of
the temperate zone close To- the tropics.
and after reminding his hearers that he
was a Jew he asked those in the room who
were Christians to bear witness if the mid
die north temperate zone ever brought
forth any single great founder or expo
nent Of religion or of religious truth.
Il believe most Of YOU IN this room are
Christans-or at least hope YOU are. Are
you willing to have it said that the found
er Of Christianity Himself didn't make
good" he asked
DR.. Wise talked with deep concern for
nearly half an hour pleading for the re-
moval of what he called slaughter house
judgment Of the masses" This nation. he
said, must get rid Of the "scapegoat idea
Some Of the scapegoats Of tho great social
unrest Of to-day We're. he said. tariffs. cur
rency, intempersnce, organized labor and
the immigrants. Each of these enjoys a
respite in its season. but The poor immi-
grants ne have with US always, he said.
He spoke about the prosecution of felons
in Adams County. Ohio. for selling their
votes last fan, and added that in the list
Of those who pleaded guilty he could not
find one name Of an Italian or the name Of
Hebrew. "Oh, there is too much abuse
Of the terms aliens and immigrants" he
cried
There are your aliens out there in
Adams County. and not your Americans
Who in this club does not remember when
during the administration of that distin-
euished member Of your body, Governor
Charles f. Hughes. certain racetrack and
anti-gambling bills were passed at Albany.
a number Of men who tried their best TO
defeat those laws said We will not re-
main longer in this country, where A
man cannot bet on a horse race. We will
60 TO Europe and rid ourselves Of this
puritanical persecution Nv friends. those
men and their kind are your aliens"
In closing Dr. Wise said he stood Just
where Secretary Naeel and Senator Dill
lineham stood-for the fair and impartial
administration of the immigration laws He
would always bar the criminal and the
diseased, but he abhorred the iIIiteracy
I.
abiding men and let In anarchists.
Secretary Nagel was applauded vigorous.
~ when he frankly admitted that two men
in passing on forty cases of immierants
hold up for deportation can make mistakes.
but he admitted Just as frankly that
genuine criticism from the press and or
CARNATIONS was expected. and oven in
vited. He said that when It had been
demonstrated that he was making too
many mistakes he desired n he succeeded
by another
Senator Dillingham;. with many facts and
figures at his tongues end. showed how
the character Of immigration had changed
since 1852, necessitating a more drastic ex-
animation OF the immigrants from South
ern and Southeastern Europe lie said the
new immigration laws relating 10 the
steamship companies We're good and
worked 10 eliminate much OF the evil
these companies might create without
them. He cited figures to show that the
great mass Of immigrants were being
properly assimilated by American re-
lgious and educational institutions. Wber-
ever assimilation was lacking II was the
fault Of the native born Americans. he
said.
Congressman Fitzgerald. Of BROOKLYN
and former Congressman Bennett, Of Man
haitian, spoke briefly, and said the steam
ship lobby al Washington. which Mr.. Hall
Of Boston had referred 10 as the mos,
powerful lobby there, was not such n bold
and bad thing as It had been pictured by