Press Release, Remarks of Senator Herbert Lehman At Luncheon Meeting At National Democratic Club New York City
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OCR Page 1 of 10FOR RELEASE IN SATURDAY PM PAPERS
APRIL 5, 1952
IMMIGRATION AND FREEDOM
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REMARKS OF SEMATOR HERBERT H. LEHMAN (DEM.-LIB.,N.Y.) AT
LUNCHEON MEETING OF NATIONAL DEMOCRATIC CLUB
NEW YORK CITY - APRIL 5, 1952
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I am glad to be at this gathering of the National Democratic Club
and to discuss with you another of the great issues confronting our country
today.
Stimulation of public discussion of current issues should be one of
the prime functions of the Democratic Party, and of such affiliated groups as
this one.
When the Democratic Party, or any other party, ceases to be a vehicle
for ideas, principles, and programs
and becomes instead a vehicle for mere patronage and
irresponsible power, then that party's days of influence are numbered.
The Democratic Party has a proper function even in connection with non-
political issues, such as foreign policy and national defense. In connection
with these issues as well as purely political questions, the Party has a great
responsibility to inform, to educate, and to mobilize public opinion.
Today I propose to discuss such an issue with you---the issue of
immigration and its relation to our foreign policy and to our civil liberties.
This is a non-political question. There is no Democratic position on it. There
is no Republican position. But there is a humanitarian position. And there is
also a democratic position with a small "d".
I will start by telling you that there is no more urgent or vital
issue in our entire galaxy of present problems, than this one-immigration.
Yet,
unfortunately, it is also one of the most complicated and least-understood
issues; it is also a difficult one to explain to the general public.
But, it is now necessary to undertake this explanation, and to arouse
the public to the pressing needs and dangers involved in the immigration issue.
Some of you may be surprised to be told that immigration is an issue.
But it is. In fact, this issue, as it faces us in Congress, involves much more
than immigration. It involves major aspects of our civil liberties. It involves
major aspects of our foreign policy. It involves the thorny problem of racial
discrimination.
We have been confronted with these explosive issues, all contained
in a single package labelled "Immigration".
Terms
Subject
Emigration and immigration law
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