The Lamar register. [volume] (Lamar, Colo.) 1889-1952, 1917-02-07
CONGRESS OVERRIDES VETO
PASSES IMMIGRATION BILL
Senate Approves Measure by Vote of
81 to 19-House Favored 1t by 2S7
to LOG

Washington, Feb. 5.-Congress has
overridden a veto by President Wilson
for the first time and enacted into
law the immigration bill with its long
fought literacy test provision. The
senate voted late today 62 to 19 to
pass the measure Notwithstanding the
veto and in spite of eleventh hour in
formation that Japan again had pro-
tested against the language of the
Asiatic exclusion section.
The house overturned the veto last
week by a vote of 2S7 to LOG, so the
scnate's action ends the contest of
20 years standing in which three pres
idents have repudiated similar bills
passed by congress. The information
al situation was brought into the clos
ing debate in the senate, Senator Reed
calling attention to the Japanese OBJ
lection and pleading that nothing be
done at this time to disturb or i'm
pair the country's relations with a
friendly nation. Senator Smith of
South Carolina, chairman Of the i'm
migration committee, answered with
declaration that the present state of
international affairs emphasized the
necessity for pure homogeneous peo-
pie such as the bill was intended TO
protect.
Senator Reed communicated infor-
nation from the state department to
the effect that the japanese embassy
the bill providing that no aliens NOV
in any way" excluded from the coun-
try would in the future be permitted
10 enter the United States. He said
the criticism was based on their belief
that this language wrote into law the
Root-Takshira gentlemen's agree
ment against the entry of Japanese
laborers.
Senator Lodge of Massachusetts,
ranking republican member of the
foreign relations committee, explained
the progress Of the provisions to
which japanese objection has been
voiced in the various stages Of such
| Legislation. He said when the present
bill went to conference it was decid-
ed to phrase the language 50 as TO
exclude all aliens Gin any way" ex-
cluded or prevented from entering the
United States.
The literacy test provided for in
the bill excludes from the United
States all aliens over 16 years Of age
physically capable Of reading, who
cannot read the English language or
some other language or dialect in
Guiding Hebrew or Yiddish. An adj
missible alien, however, or any citi-
zen Of the United States may bring
in or send for his father or grand
father, over 55 years of age, his wife,
mother, grandmother, or unmarried or
widowed daughter if otherwise ad-
missible. regardless Of whether such
relatives can read.
Immediately after the senate's ac-
tion, Representative Gardner Of Mass
achusctts introduced in the house an
amendment to limit the number OF
aliens coming into this country to
total of 100000 in excess of the out
going aliens.
President Cleveland vetoed the first
immigration uosJurc with a literacy
test provision. President Taft dis
approved the second bill, and in 1915
President Wilson wrote mis- second
veto message a few weeks ago.
Only thirty vetoes have been over
ridden in tho history of the United
States and but four Of them have
been within the past 35 years. I'M
1882 congress passed a river cnd har-
Dor bill over President Arthur's veto
In 1886 one Of 524 pension bills vetoed
by President Cleveland was forced
through congress. In Roosevelt's ad-
ministration a bill to extend time for
construction Of a dam on the Rainy
river in Minnesota was passed despite
executive disapproval, and President
Taft's rejection of the Webb-Kenyon
interstate commerce liquor law was
repudiated.