Newark evening star and Newark advertiser. [volume] (Newark, N.J.) 1909-1916, 1914-02-05
ALL OPPOSED TO
LITERACY TEST
N. J. Congressman Vote SoIidly
Against immigration Bill
Now Before Senate.

/ WASHINGTON, Feb. with q
provision barring illiterates, said &c
be the most drastic legislation of Its
kind for many years, the Burnett i'm.
migration bill was before the Senate
today, where the final question or
the literacy test will be threshed out
Many expect the Senate to pass the
bill as 1t stands, but President Will
sons attitude is the subject of much
speculation. Some of those who
claim to be informed say the Presi-
dent is opposed to the literacy test.
Before Mr.. Wilson acts on the bill
he will give public hearings upon it
as former Presidents Taft and Cleve-
land did on similar bills
By vote of 241 to 1875 the House
late yesterday passed the bill. All pro-
posed amendments relating to the ex-
clusion of Asiatics had been elimi-
mated.
All the Southern Democrats and
Western and Middle Western mem
beers of both parties lined up solidly
| behind the measure.
The New York and New Jersey dele
cations voted against the bill The
New York Legislature passed a reso-
luton opposing the literacy test. 1t
is feared by advocates of the bill the
New Jersey votes reflected opposition
by President Wilson. Leaders of the
New Jersey delegation denied Presi-
dent Wilson had prompted them In
their course.
Scully Opposes Bill.
81 am opposed to this BILL" said
Congressman rnomas j. Scully, of
Na44r sshooasaaa do fv,lr
the literacy test is a test of fitness or
character.
81 am heartily in favor OF the ex-
clusion of the criminal, the insane and
mentally defective, the pauper, the
morally unfit and those who are in
capable of earning a living, but / do
not think the literacy test is test of
either fitness or character. It will not
tend to keep out the vicious or the
morally or physically unfit, neither
will it keep out the clever and edu-
Gated schemer who Immediately upon
arrival begins to find fault with our
institutions.
1.-The bill contains many admirable
features, but taken as whole 1t
directs against one class, the rough
manual laborer, who strives for hu-
man sympathy, who makes a decent,
well-behaved citizen in the commit
nifty in which he happens to settle
and dwell.
Just because a man cannot read
does not mean that he is bad man.
Illiteracy Is no crime; nor is it
badge of crime; 1t is a misfortune,
and any law that places a penalty on
a person that has been so unfortu-
nate as to be in such surroundings
where that person could not obtain
an education is unjust, un-American,
discriminatory and so repugnant to
American traditions that / cannot
support it."
Underwood for Measure.
If President Wilson had sif1nified to
the leaders of the party a desire that
the bill should not be passed, the
Democratic House organization APP
peared to be without advice. Leader
Underwood and his principal lieuten-
ants voted for the bill and urged its
passage. Representative Goldfogle,
of New York, and Representative Sa-
bath, of Chicago, led the fight against
the bill.
The bill passed provides that every
immigrant admitted to the United
States must be able to read "the Eng
lish language, or some other language
or dialect, including Hebrew or Yid-
DISH" In its present form this meas
ure passed the House and the Senate
in the last Congress, but was vetoed
by President Taft A similar bill was
vetoed during President Cleveland's
second administration.