The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1924-10-15

marked the beginning Of campaign
for further restricted immigration
which eliminated in the infamous i'm
migrant quota legislation.
1e21--LaFollette Votes for VlcIou:
Quota Law.
An attempt was first made in 1921
by congressman Johnson, to bar al
immigrants for IA months. The mea
sure which was passed however, pro
vided for a per cent quota, based up
on the 1910 census. This quota would
allow 355,461 immigrants to enter this
country in one year. The senate com
mittee recommended that the quota
should be per cent, but the senate
changed 1t to per cent. The law
was to be in force for one year-till
June 30, 1922.
The senate passed the first immi-
grant quota law on May 8, 1921, by a
vote Of rs to 1. and senator LaFoIlette
was not the one who voted against the
measure. The sole opponent of re-
stricted immigration was senator
Reed of Missouri Senator LaFollette
voted for the quota law, as did the
other progressive" senators, Norris
of Nebraska, Ladd of North Dakota,
Walsh Of Montana, Johnson of Cali
fornia, some of whom are supporting
senator LaFollette in,the present cam
paign.
AS on previous occasions represent
tatives of progressive labor unions
came to Washington to plead against
the enactment of the quota legisla-
ton, but the congressman and sena-
tors, reactionary and so-called pro-
gressives alike, voted for the oppres-
sive immigration regulations. Presi-
dent Harding approved the per cent
quota bill on May 10, 1921.
1e22-LaFolIette Votes to Extend 8
Per Cent Law.
Since the 3 per cent law was to be
in force only one year, hope was en-
tertained that the law would not be re-
enacted. A great deal of agitation was
carried on against the law, and the
dreadful experiences with the oper-
ations were used to prove the cruelty
of the quota legislation. But the house
of representatives voted to extend the
operation of the law for another year.
The senate, with senator LaFollette
present, voted without a rollcall to ex-
tend the law for two years, instead
of for one year, as the house provid-
ed, that is, to June 80, 1924, and presi-
dent Harding approved the extension
of the law on May IL, 1922.
Senator LaFoIlette again showed
his consistent support Of reactonary
immigration legislation for which he
first voted In 1918. The Wisconsin
senator, reputed champion of the
poor people," voted for the extension
of the 8 per cent quota law for two
years, notwithstanding the tremen-
dous opposition of progressive labor
organizations to this reactionary and
cruel measure.
1924--LaFolIette Absent, But His
Friends Are There.
AS tho the per cent quota law was
not reactionary enough, the anti-im-
migration lobby in congress worked
to make the law still more severe, and
the "progressives" in congress help
ed to reduce still further the actual
quota of immigrants to free" Ameri-
ca. The immigration bitter-enders
proposed that the quota be cut in
half-that is, instead of allowing
about $50, 900 immigrants year; only
100000 should be permitted to land
here. The law was changed to pro-
vide for 2 per cent quota based on the
1890 census. 1t was particulrly direct
ed against the Jewish, Italian and
Slavic immigrants.
Senator LaFollette was not pres
ent when the vote was taken in the
senate on April IS, 1924, on the 2 per