The Oskaloosa herald., 1913-01-16
READ OR keep OUT
THAT 10 WHAT UNCLE SAM "a
LIKELY SOON TO SAY TO
IMMIGRANTS.
BILL NOW IS IN CONFERENCE
President Taft Probably VIII Sign
Measure That 10 Designed to Elk.
e'ude People From Some Parts
Of Southern Europe. .&
BY GEORGE CLINTON.

Washington.-Rec the senate
OF the United States passed an immi-
grafton restriction bill and sent il
over to the house for approval. The
representatives changed the form Of
the BILL passed It and sent it to con.
ference. II is believed that an agree.
ment upon the provisions OF the meas
ure Will be reached by the two houses
and that soon congress will pass it
and send 1T to the president for his
signature or his veto. . Pc.
II is understood that Mr. Taft does
not entirely agree with the provi-
sions Of the measure in the form In
which 1t seems certain It finally will
be approved by congress- The law
will contain a provision shutting out
from America all immigrants above
the age of sixteen years who are un.
able toiread, unless it can be proved
that the aliens are fleeing from rel,
gious persecution.
While the president Is said not to
be entirely sympathetic with the bill
II is believed that in the near future
immigrants will be subjected to the
reading test before they can admitted
to this country. The test will be in
the language which the immigrants
speak. When the measure passed the
senate there was five to one vote in
favor Of provision which would have
subjected immigrants to both reading
and writing tests The house knock
ed out the writing provision and sent
the bill to conference
Taft viii Sign II.
II is the opinion OF congressman
that the change OF the form of the il.
literacy test will not make much dif.
ference. II Is held that about 80 out
OF every 100 persons who know how
to read also know how to write. II
seems finally to be assured that a re-
strictive immigration measure will
And a place on the statute books in
the immediate future, for while Presi
dent Taft is known to have some
doubts in the matter. the general be-
lief is that he will sign the bill.
There is no use to try to gloss over
the real reason why congpsss was will.
ing to put the reading test :rto the
new immigration law. The desire IL
to keep out immigrants whom ec.
perience, II Is said, has proved to be
undesirable as class, and this means
the exclusion OF certain OF the south
Italians. certain OF the Jews. certain
Of the Poles, and men and women OF
other races among whom the pei
centage Of illiteracy is high
The steamship companies always
have been against "antiimmigration
laws" The reason for their opposi-
ton needs no explanation. Under the
proposed law rejected aliens will be
sent back to their native lands at the
expense OF the steamship companies
which bring them over. The supposl-
ton is that the companies will on
their own behalf see to 1t that no one
is allowed on board who cannot go
through unstumblingE a paragraph Of
his school reader
For years attempts have been made
in congress to get through an immi.
grafton bill with an illiteracy test
clause as one Of its provisions. In
1897, when Grover Cleveland was
president, bill very much like the
present one, or like the form in which
It has been sanctioned by the house,
was passed by congress. Mr. Cleveland
vetoed it and II has been said that aft.
erward he regretted his act. There
always has been strong opposition to
the passage Of measure which would
exclude immigrants because OF ina.
bility to read and write.
Question Really of Geography.
II congress could have done 1t, II
would have exempted from the illit.
eracy test immigrants from the north
ern European countries, but Of course
It could not do this. The issue, so
far as geographical restriction" is
concerned, always has been avoided,
but when a thing is perfectly plain,
denials and evasion are of no service.
Certain kinds of immigrants are not
wanted, and ii is supposed that the H.
literacy clause will keep them out.
The opposition to the iiiiteracy
test has come during the years not
only from naturalized Americans who
do not like to see their homeland
kindred debarred from admission. but
from men and women OF prominence
In the work OF the world and who are
descended from immigrants" who
came to this country in the seven
teenth and eighteenth centuries.
The provision OF the bill which al.
lows illiterate immigrants TO enter
the country II they are trying to get
away from religious persecution opens
up the question of proof In certain
countries the Jews are prosecuted OF
and on. viii an immigrant be allowed
TO enter because he Is in fear of per
secution, fear based on past per
formance?" In other words, must the
persecution be open and active and
must a man be actually fleeing from it
in order TO be admitted to this country
without being asked to read his way
into 1t?
The illiteracy test provision OF the
immigration bill was passed by the
votes Of men OF both parties; In TACT,
party lines we're completely obliterat.
ed. The support Of the provision was
especially strong among the members
OF congress who represent the south.