The Catholic bulletin. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1911-1995, 1915-01-23

Il u Il
value as a test of qualification for
citizenship; but whether he will
veto the bill for that reason or not
i is predetermined. If he refuses to
sign the measure it is not unlikely
that it will be enacted into law
over his veto on a tWo-thirds
Ivote.
Two similar bills, passed by
Congress, were yetoed-one by
President Cleveland and one by
President Taft, and the vetoes
were sustained by the Senate. In
refusing to sign the bill President
Cleveland said:
"In 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 OPP
portunity to work, rather than to
admit one of those unruly agi-
tators and enemies Of govern
mental control who can not only
read and write, but delights in
arousing by inflammatory speech
the illiterate and peacefully in
clined to discomfort and tumrlt.
Violence and disorder do not orig
mate with illiterate leaders. They
are rather the victims Of the edu-
Gated agitator. The ability to
read or write, as required i'll this
bill, in and Of itself, affords, in
my opinion, a misleading test Of
contented industry and supplies
unsatisfactory evidence Of desir-
able citizenship or Of proper ap-
prehension Of the benefits of our
institutions. -
President Taft displayed equal
courage and determination in not
placing such law upon the
statute books.
AS a matter Of fact, the literacy
test is aimed at debarring from
this country immigrants from
Southern Europe, the majority of
whom are Catholics, but who, for
one reason or another, have had
most meagre opportunities, If any
at all, for securing an education.
Its passage is being urged largely
by individuals and organizations
hostile to the Catholic Church and
who are so blinded by unreason-
ing prejudice that they do not
realize how absurd it is to contend
that, because a poor immigrant
cannot read thirty or forty
printed words in some language
or dialect, he is not fit to be adj
mitted to the United States,
Every intelligent American citizen
is anxious to sec the standard of
the raw material that is to be
moulded into the future citizens
of this Republic raised, SO as to
give assurance that the peace and
stability Of the nation will not be
jeopardized by their admission to
the rights of full-fedged citizens,
Catholics aswell as non-Catholics
are opposed to making this coun-
try dumping ground for the riff
raft Of other nations. Catholics
are not opposed to an immigration
bill provided it does not. discrimi-
nate against any class on account
Of religion. They do not want TN
desirable immigrants east upon
our shores and allowed to become
a menace to the peace and pros
perity of this country. But we
submit that the Immigrant who
should be excluded is not the poor,
honest, peaceful, Woodworking
and law-abiding illiterate who has
never had a chance to obtain an
education, but the educated rascal
who lives by his wits, the schemer
who can read and write and hopes
to reap a rich harvest by preying
upon the credulity Of his fellow
men, the agitator who knows how
to arouse spirit of opposition
to law and order among his fell
lowmen which leads to the COM
mission Of crimes against the
person and society. These are
the individuals who should be
kept out Of this country. And it
is against this class of undesir-
ables that an immigration bill
should be directed and not against
immigrants who, by reason of the
larger educational opportunities
which they hope to enjoy In the
United States, will one day be-
come valuable members of society
and citizens of whom this coun-
| try may we'll be proud Char
acter, not education, should be
the ultimate test of fitness for
the rights of citizenship. Better
an illiterate immigrant of upright
life and irreproachable character,
than a paragon of learning whose
moral nature is undeveloped or so
warped by an uncontrolled pro-
pensity to evil that he becomes a
menace to the public welfare.
PUTTING THE BLAME WHERE