Macon beacon. [volume] (Macon, Miss.) 1859-1995, 1915-01-08
The Immigration Bin.

Olilclal w aSnlngGOn is Specula
e ing on the probable action of Pre-,
ident Wilson on the Immigratio
Bill, which will almost certainl
be passed in the senate during th
present term of congress.
: If one may judge from what MI
Wilson has said in the past, h
will veto it. He has expressed t
visitors his opinion that the Liter
acy test, which is the obnoxiou
clauseSin sthe bill, is not a fai
method of judging the quality o
an immigrant. The friends of tn
bill say the president will sign i
because of it's many other needed
and benefcent provisions.
1t will be remembered that two
similar bills have been passed by
congress to be vetoed by the Chic
Executive one by President Cleve-
land and another by President
Taft. In refusing to sign the bill
submitted to him, President Cleve-
land said:
'Tn my opinion it is Infinitely
more safe to admit one hundred
thousand immigrants who though
unable to read or write seek among
us only home and an opportuni-
ty to work, rather than to admit
one of those unruly agitators and
enemies of governmental control
who cannot only read and write,
but delights in arousing by infam-
matory speech the illiterate and
peacefully inclined to discomfort
and tumult. Violence and disor-
der do not originate with illiterate
leaders. They are rather the vic
tins of the educated agitator. The
ability to read or write, as requir
ed in this bill, in and of itself, af
fords, in my opinion, a misleading
test of contented industry and
unsatisfactory evidence OF
desirable citizenship or of proper
apprehension of the benefits ofoui
Institutions. ="
While President Taft's veto was
'ot characterized by the forceful
Inguage used by President Cleve
md, he displayed equal determi
alton not to sanction a law which
contained the literacy clause.
The words of President Cleve.
and express in precise terms the
bnoxious character of the literacy
est for citizenship. Ability to
cad and write is not an essential ,
for admission to the !
lnlks- of labor. On the contrary {
ne most dangerous and undesir-
BILE applicants for admission to
ur shores are those who have &C.
uired and sapplied an educa- 9
on and come solely for the dis
animation of ideas antagonistic to
loral progress and for the practical !
f principles inimical to social wei t
ire. 1t is not the simple minded 9
nd ignorant we have to fear, but ,
lose whom IA little learning" has
nfitted for useful toll and whose e
,tivities have been diverted into e
channels.
We wonder how many of the
.thers of the wise legislators who a
'e fostering this bill could have p
lssed the propose literacy test. ;,
here are thousands of American
tizens who have no education be. u
use they did not want any edu- tt
.tion and many of them are Q,
orthy and desirable citizens.
'hy, then, refuse admittance to Ii
me poor foreigner whose fault is II
1t that he failed to grasp an edu-
tional opportunity, but that no q
oh opportunity was afforded to y
MT, t,
America has far to travel before Il
shall reach the point where it 4
IS no further need of new sup ~
les of labor. If we can perfect a =,
stem by which the unfit and I'M :
can alone shall be excluded, by
hich government for a time shall
serve control over those immi-
ants who display criminal tend. b
cies, that is all that can reason II
'ly be demanded in the way of II
gulation and restriction. =