Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1915-02-11
DEMOCRATIC CONGRESSMAN CAN
NOT FOLLOW PRESIDENTS
LEAD.
TELLS WHY HE DIFFERS
ON IMMIGRATION BILL
Criminal Wilson Man CharactsristicalIy
Explains Reasons For Breaking With
Party Leader-says Conditions Of
Country Call For Restricted lmmi-
grafton.
Especial correspondence

Especial Correspondence
Washington, Feb. 11.-Represenative
! kirkpatrick. democrat, of the Sixth
Iowa district, has put into the record
his reasons for voting in favor of the
| immigration bill and tells why he voted
to pass the bill over the veto of Pres
ident Wilson. Mr.. Kirkpatrick defends
the literacy test and the restriction OF
| Immigration. He sets forth his posi-
| ton in his characteristic way. He says:
| "Mr. Speaker, for the first time in the
| deliberations Of the Sixty-third con-
gress I am brought face to face with
| the expressed views of the chief exec
! utive Of our nation relative to the lit
eracy test in it's application to lmml-
grants landing on our shores.
INV objections to the presidents veto
are not based on objection to the intro
duction of foreign immigrants because
| Of their inability to tell who they are
where they came from, or WHITTIER tney
are going, still believe all these are
| essential and necessary elements that
enter into the composites CONSTITUTING
good citizenship. | feel perfectly sa1e
| in saying that all laws are more or less
used, and likewise abused, but MT.
Speaker we can not live on tradition,
| or that which prompted or controlled
our forefathers more than century
ago. At that time SO per cent OF our
broad acres were unoccupied. Ihen we
were turning the virgin soil with
wooden mould-board plow, and single
| takers had not been born.
Demand For Labor Lessons.
'"The good Lord quit making land
long time ago, and no one knows When
He will resume this difficult and ardu-
Gus task. One hundred years ago the
demand for labor was the rule, now 1T
is the exception. Then we were reap
ing down our fields with a hand scythe,
now the genii of the age are offering to
cut, bind, thrash and grind, all for
nominal sum, and before proceeding
further along these lines permit me to
say that I am unalterably opposed to
the use and exercise Of the veto power.
| II am old enough to recall some vivid
Impressions growing out of the ire
quent use of this privilege of veto by
| the predecessor of Zachary Taylor, and
! in 1S4S this became an issue of. the
slogan type. Mr.. Taylor was appealed
to as to his position on this grave ques-
ton and said, Gentlemen, your will, not
mine
| "No man has more exalted opinion
| of President Wilson than have. In
legal sense it Is a great measure
artificial for lawyers to differ, and IT
is akin and natural for all of us to do
likewise. 1 frankly said to the presi-
dent this morning that intended to
vote against his veto. He said in part
that inasmuch as / had been faithful
in all other matters affecting the well
fare of our people, ! grant that you are
as honest in your convictions as am
in mine.
Original Wilson Man.
II placed Mr.. Wilson in nomination
for the presidency in the nineteenth
century. and I am the first and only
original Wilson man in the United
States, or as I jocularly remarked to
Mr.. Wilson on one occasion, save one,
and that was himself. To this he dis
sented, adding that at that time he had
not been born into the kingdom of the
emergency, dark horse or receptive
cast.
1.-The law of the Lord is perfect,
converting the SOUL but l am aware OF
the fact that there are some members
who are strangers in the common
wealth OF Israel. have contended for
forty years that the best and safest
protection for American wage earners
Is to place some restrictions on COM
petitive labor, for as sure as two and
two make four, If there are two men
for job the price for performing such
labor will be materially reduced, If not
cut in two.
II desire to say to members who
continue to vote for high tariff and
free labor, and do SO from sense of
habit, custom, or environment, like
the new convert who said, The moon
shines brighter. but the roads damn
sight -ougher."
III Inconsistencies could be converted
and made to appear as jewels, then
some Of you fellows would be decked
beyond recognition. This is not a new
threshed out under the Cleveland and
Taft administrations. Three millions
organized workers OF America demand
it. The conversion OF st. Paul was
almost instantaneous, but not along
these lines. Some have said there are
thirty millions Of workingmen not yet
heard from. I invite all such into the
arena of public expression.
1.-THE restrictions objected to are not
onerous, complicated, or difficult to
overcome. To learn to read thirty or
forty words of our own, or their own
language should be readily done, and
the man or woman will be better quail
fled for better and higher ideals. Thus
having said what / have said, and
frankly voting as I believe, shall vote
to place this bill upon our statutes"
T..
NEW OUTBREAK CONFINED.