The daily Gate City. [volume] (Keokuk, Iowa) 1855-1916, 1913-01-20

WOULD EXCLUDE MANY.
To Give Russia an Excellent oppor-
tunity Of Saying Just Who
Might Come to the
United States.

L
WASHINGTON, Jan. 20. Senator
LaFolle..te dramatically forced senate
leaders this afternoon to drop an at
tempt to pass through what the Wis
consin warrior declared was an in
genious Joker to the immigration bill,
which has already gone through the
house.
Senators O'Gorman and Stone had
read protests from Jewish societies
against adoption of the conference re-
port on the Dillingham-Burnett immi-
grafton bill, because the conferees
had inserted in the measure a provis-
ions requiring aliens, as prequisite
to their admission, to produce "char-
acter certificates" issued by their ma
tive governments.
LaFollette took up the charge, de
clared the scheme was one which
menaced the freedom Of every liberty
loving alien, and which had been in
serted in the conference bill without
ever being debated in either house.
He forced Senator Root to admit
that operation of the provision would
give Russia power to stop immigra,
ton of political refugees. Senator
Lodge then moved for reference OF
the whole bill back to the conference
committee and the senate acquiesced
An impassioned and dramatic attack
was made on the bill by Senator La
Toilette. Shaking his finger at Sena.
tors Lodge and Root, the Wisconsin
senator bitterly denounced what he
termed AN ingenious device OF Ger
tain gentlemen"
He followed this with the implied
charge that the Joker was slipped
into the bill through the interest Of
gentlemen who are defending plu
Stocracy from every encroachment."
: This clause" he said, which wal
never considered for a moment II
either house. until after the conferees
reported it, would have excluded Car
Schurz and all that splendid body o,
German patriots who were driven to
our shores in 1848. 1t would have
shu. out everyone of these liberty
shut out every one of these liberty
and who laid the foundation for the
movement which has brought the gov
eminent of that commonwealth bach
10 the people.
Russia could tomorrow adopt the
regulations after the enactment oil
this ingenious device that would take
from the men in Russia, whom q
despotic government fears, their one
chance of coming to this country for
refuge. Russia fears them less al
home, under police espionage than
when they are here.
Just think of the childishness OF
our turning over to Russia the decis
ion as to who shall be admitted tc
the United States.
"These men are not only danger
to despotism abroad, but they are a
menace to plutocracy in America, and
there are gentlemen who are defend
ing plutocracy from every encroach
men..."
Citing the abuse of the "conferees
system" LaFollette wildly detailed
his 10 hour filibuster against a pro
vision inserted in the Aldrich cur
rency bill by conferees, the provision
never having been ratified in either
house.
Il am sorry" he in.erjected, that
some of my colleagues are disappoint.
ed, but this thing isn't right and II
has got to be cleaned up. It's wrong
all wrong; you know its trickery and
the people are not going to stand for
it very long.
Il am appealing to you" he added
turning to the democrats, with hands
outstretched. You are coming into
power. appeal to you 10 change this
conference system; it Is one of the
many things that are in need OF
changing in this chamber to bring us
back nearer to the people"