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

THAT the immigration bill was "a nee
essary defense of American citizen
ship"
1915-LaFoIlette Absent With Excuse
The Dillingham; immigra,
ton bill was resurrected in congress
in 1914. The senate again passed the
bill, but president Wilson vetoed the
measure on Jan. %, 1915. AS in 1918,
the senate passed the bill over the
veto of the president, by vote of
fifty to seven, but the literacy test
bill failed to get the necessary two
thirds majority in the house by four
votes, and therefore, failed to be-
come law. Senator LaFollette was
not present when the measure came
up for vote in the senate on Jan.
2, 1915. LaFollette's friends who
praise him for his stand on immigra-
ton, declare that LaFollette was alb
sent from the session on account Of
death in the family, and must, there
fore, be excused for failing to register
his vote for the notorious Burnett
Dillingham; bill.
1916 and 1917 LaFoIIette Votes
Twice for Literaey Test Law.
The literacy test laws, having fall
ed of enactment because of vetoes by
presidents Taft and Wilson, came be-
fore congress again in 1916. The sen.
ate passed bill by vote of 81 to
T. and senator LaFoIlette was among
those who voted for the measure to
lrequre of every prospective imml-
, grant Iteracy test.
President Wilson vetoed for the sec
ond time the proposed law on Jan.
rs, 1917. When it came before the
senate for passage over the presi-
dents veto, 10 senator's voted to sus-
tain president Wilson, while So voted
for the law. Senator LaFoIlette was
one of the 81, and with him were
the other stalwart 'progressives" and
allies-senators Borah of Idaho; Nor
ris of Nebraska; and Kenyon of Iowa
Thanks to senator LaFollette and
his progressive" colleagues, the lit
eracy test provision was written into
the immigration law after a struggle
of twenty years of foreign-born and
progressive organizations to defeat
this reactionary measure. The Anal
gamated Clothing Workers of Ameri-
ca, the International Ladies' Garment
Workers Union, and other progress
sive unions in the American Fedora
ton of Labor, sent Representatives to
Washington to fight the measure
every time it came before congress or
the president. Presidents Cleveland,
Taft, and Wilson twice. have vetoed
the measure because of general OPP
position, but the reactionary leader
ship of the A. F. of l.. aided by La
Toilette and his friends in the senate
succeeded in passing the literacy test
law, which became effective May 1,
1917.
! In 1916, the socialist party sent
Charles Edward Russell to argue be-
fore president Wilson against the
measure, and congressman London
voted against the bill in the house
The socialist party and former con,
I 81
senator LaFollette, the foe of immi,
grafton the man who voted for mea-
sure which the socialists then declar-
ed was reactionary and inhuman.
Further Restriction Of immigration.
Having successfully inaugurated
the beginning of legislation for re-
stricted immigration, Samuel Gompers
and his reactionary friends in con-
gress continued to work for further
restrictive measures. The same day
the literacy test law was passed over
the veto of president Wilson, in 1917,
Senator Gardner of MASSACHUSETTS in
troduced bill limiting the number
of immigrants to 100000 in one year.
The introduction of this measure