Kentucky Irish American. (Louisville, Ky.) 1898-1968, 1914-04-04
IMMIGRATION
Bill Endorsed by Kentucky's
Leading A. p. A. Secret
Societies.
Test Would Have Barred the
Parents of President
Lincoln.
Recalls Rebuke Administered
by President Eliot of
Harvard.
Immigrants IGNORE KENTUCKY
IMMIGRANTS IGNORE KENTUCKY

The latest phase of the agitation
anent the Burnett immigration bill,
which recently passed the House,
was the action of the Daughters of
America throughout Kentucky wir-
ing their Endorsement of the pro-
posed bill to Senators Ollie James
and w. o. Bradley, although it has
been proven conclusively that this
State receives practically no immi-
grafton, this fact being published
broadcast In the daily press and
should have been seen by every
member of this A. p. A. and other
kindred organizations, that is If
they are able to read, which is one
of the first qualifications they want
exacted of the immigrants. The an
nouncement in the daily press
quoted the Daughters as being OPP
posed to the bill, which called forth
a protest from Burrell C. Burgess,
as local representative, who is
cashier of the department under the
jurisdiction of David B. G.. Rose at
the Evening Post, according to the
directory, but 1t is not known
whether "Burrell'' is Miss or Mr.,
probably the former. If a member
of society known as the Daughters
of America. The Burnett immigra-
ton bill, as 1t is generally known,
closes the doors on "all aliens over
the age of sixteen years, physically
capable of reading, who can not
read the English language or some
other language or dialect" Apropos
of this the New York Sun says:
This made us think of an I'M
fortunate Kentucky family, mostly
illiterate, that has got it's place in
history in spite of educational de-
fects. Nicholay and Hays Abraham
Lincoln tells us of his mothers
folks: The whole Hanks family
connection was composed of people
so little given to letters that it is
hard to determine the proper names
and relationships of the younger
members Nancy Hanks, the
mother of Abraham Lincoln, was an
exception, in that day and region
almost a marvel: She could read
and write-a remarkable accom-
plishment in her circle Her hus-
band, Thomas Lincoln, seems to
have been absolutely illiterate, but
Nancy Hanks taught her husband
to form the letters of his name.
The mystic sesame of not less than
| thirty or more than forty words
provided by the Burnett bill, would
never have opened the gates to the
Hankses or the Lincolns. The men
that fought Indians, felled forests,
1 Cd 4
the great Western empire. the pre-
cursors and the pioneers, were no
scholars as a rule. They had small
chance of letters. How would the
North have Jared in the civil war
II aliens ready to fight for her had
been sifted by the thirty word test 2
An immigrant guiltless of reading
was good enough to build the
United States; now his ability, his
character, his productive capacity,
his usefulness and value are to be
! judged by his skill to read from
thirty to forty words in some Ian
guage or dialect Words, words,
wordsi the great American art. But,
we are told, the literacy test is only
1 a pretence. Some check on immi.
grafton there must be; the word
test for want of a better. II so,
at least be honest about it,"
| "Only a pretence." this recalls the
public rebuke administered by DR..
Eliot, the President Emeritus of
Harvard, some time ago to certain
lultra-patriotic Americans who boldly
admitted that their interests in the
late immigration bill, vetoed by
President Taft, was for the purpose
of checking the growing influence
and power of the Catholic church,
which was being augmented by the
constant flow of Catholic immi-
grants. II seems that the same ad-
vocates are urging the literacy
test" in the present Burnett bill.
For one indication of this take a
recent editorial in the Living
Church protestant EpiscopaD. We
read: 1.-THE religious forces of this
country are being rapidly swamped
by Roman Catholic immigration. In
nearly all the Northern States,
Roman Catholicism has a large
numerical preponderance. In many
States that population exceeds all
the other forces of organized Chris
tianity combined. Everywhere a
vigorous propaganda similar to that
of Dom Gasquet is maintained, par
ticularly among churchmen. Not
strangely, many Of them are af-
fected by IL, and some fall from
their allegiance" According to DR.
Eliot: Catholics are entitled TO al
they gain by immigration"