Grover Cleveland: “At the same time, it is a plain dictate of wisdom and expediency that the commerce of the river be not unnecessarily…”

It is not claimed, I believe, that the time has come for the further restriction of immigration on the ground that an excess of population overcrowds our land.

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.

This requirement proceeds upon the assumption that the foreign relatives coming here are in every case, by reason of poverty, liable to become a public charge unless the immigrant is capable of their support.

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.