The Wheeling intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1903-1961, 1921-02-09

not merely racial CONSIDERATIONS mat
led the senate into evading considera'
ton OF the immigration restriction
bill. The only racial element tina ap-
reared 10 take much interest in the
bill, and the only one that put IN a
formal appearance at the hearings,
was the Jews. They made their pro
test through a prominent Jewish law
yer of New York and through agents
OF the National Hebrew Trades Union
Immigration Bureau. tho Hebrew
Sheltering Aid society. the American
Jewish Congress. the Union Of Amer
lean Hebrew Congregations and sew
eral other similar organizations.
This Jewish opposition may have
had some weight in isolated quarters,
but il is doubtful If the aggregate OF
it helped their own cause. 4 discom'
forting issue arose between assertions
made before the committee by the
agents OF some OF these organizations
10 the effect that they were not accei'
Grating the removal Of JuwS from
eastern Europe to America. and on
the other hand. contradictory testi'
mony produced by advocates OF re-
striction 10 the effect that on other
occasions and in other places agents
OF these same organizations had
spoken with enthusiasm Of the energy
and effectiveness OF their work 10
facilitate the coming Of their CO.
religionists For example. Prof. Jere-
miah jerks OF New York university
produced a copy OF the Jewish lmmi-
grafton Bulletin and quoted an official
statement to the effect that last Oc-
tober the Hebrew Immigrant Aid Soci.
ETY. had been enabled to engage fifty
more workers" at Warsaw in Poland
and that I'VE filled out five hundred
applications a day, having twelve
clerks on duty for this particular
work"
Commercial Opposition.
But il is not probable that any large
number OF senators were moved by
the Jewish opposition 10 the bill,
which was the only racial opposition
that appeared at the hearings. 1t is
probable that a much larger number
of senators were moved by the energy
OF the agents OF powerful interests
who have a commercial motive for
resisting any limitation OF immigra-
ton. A list OF the steamship COM
psnieS, railroad companies. beet sugar
companies, lumber companies. o n
~struction companies, building COM
panieS and other commercial interests
who were represented in opposition TO
the bill would fill a page Of this paper.
Each Of these organizations is power
full locally, and the aggregate OF all Of
them may we'll have been able 10 in
fuence the senate as a whole. The
senators from the New England and
eastern states have powerful con-
StituentS who want immigrant labor
10 reduce costs in their mills, while
senators from the southwestern states
respond 10 the stimulus OF beet sugar
companies and other large landown.
ers who want the use Of peon labor
from Mexico.
General VS.. Special Interests
To a large degree the hearings were
a case Of the general interest cersus
special interests. For example, a
Texas congressman, John c. Box, stat
ed that the masses OF his constituents
do not want Mexican peon labor to
come in. and placed his objection on
the same fundamental social grounds
that constituted the objection TO
bringing in slaves before the Civil
war.
Immediately after Congressman
Box's testimony the committee was in.
undated by kilograms and personal
representations from the Great West.
ern Sugar company, the U~tah-idaho
Sugar company, the American Beet
Sugar company. the FL Paso Chamber
of Commerce. the Texas Land Owners
association and similar organizations.
Against the c~ompactness and alert
energy Of these special interests the
lone and unorganized advocates Of re.
striction had an air Of futility.
In the curse OF the hearings Il
turned out that there is a national
federation OF constructive industries
which includes the Associated Gen.
crale Contractors Of America , tn
American Wholesale Lumber associa-
ton and more than a score Of other
organizations, covering every phase OF
building industry. This federation OF
constructive Industries has. AMONG its
other activities, an immigration COM
mittee whose function appears to be
TO secure foreign labor. The chairman
OF this immigration committee Of the
national federation OF constructive in
GuStries, in opening his argument
against restriction. remarked that II
am in a particularly happy position,
because | live six months OF the year
in each of two cities. and fortunately
Senator Edge OF the senate committee
on immigration lives in one Of the
cities and Senator Penrose, who is
also on the committee, lives in the
other, so we feel that we are pretty
well represented on your committee"
The Real Story.
This is the real story Of the senate's
chloroforming OF the immigration re-
striction bill. II is IN old-time per.
Torrance. and represents the senate
at its worst. Within the past few
days the advocates OF restriction in
distant parts OF the country. as. well
as a few. friends Of restriction in the
senate, have walked up to what Is &C.
ing on, and there. is at this moment
an agitation which may yet force the
bill out OF the committee. But there