Grover Cleveland: “I do not understand this resolution nor the purposes sought to be accomplished by its passage.”

A careful examination of this bill has convinced me that for the reasons given and others not specifically stated its provisions are unnecessarily harsh and oppressive.

The ability to read and write, as required in this bill, in and of itself affords, in my opinion, a misleading test of contented industry and supplies unsatisfactory evidence of desirable citizenship or a proper apprehension of the…

A radical departure from our national policy relating to immigration is here presented.

The time is quite within recent memory when the same thing was said of immigrants who, with their descendants, are now numbered among our best citizens.