Put America First: Lock Doors of Immigration and Throw Keys Away, Says Rev. Collins, 1919

From the Hertford County Herald, Ahoskie, N.C., March 7, 1919

Rev. Fred T. Collins Bitterly Opposed to League of Nations. . . Takes Occasion to Condemn League of Nations at Sunday Morning Service. . . America for America, Says Mr. Collins. . . Would Lock the Doors of Immigration and Throw the Keys Away

Rev. Fred T. Collins, the vigorous and able pastor of the Ahoskie Baptist church, speaking from the pulpit last Sunday morning, announced that he was unalterably opposed to any agreement which would draw America closer to European Nations. The League of Nations, soon to be adopted by the Peace Conference at Paris, was condemned by the speaker. Before asserting boldly his opposition to this proposition, he made it clear to his audience that he felt little in measuring thoughts with the president; but, further stated that the League of Nations, in his opinion, should never be entertained by American statesmen.

His proposition, in its premises, laid that this country was now facing a decision between the principles laid down by George Washington and those promulgated by our present President Wilson. “It is Washington or Wilson,” said Mr. Collins. He was convinced that this country should choose the advice and teachings of the former. He was not too kind to the modern statesman, who he pictured subsequently disregarding the will of those who placed him in position to represent them in politics. He declared this way the present day lawmaker disregarded the express wishes of a free born American citizenship.

Politically speaking, he said, this country was going at a pace now that was either destined to result in slavery and bondage or it would develop into the spread of Bolshevism in the United States. Taxation, he said, was becoming so burdensome and the country was being plunged so headlong into excessive debts that slavery would be the final outcome, or, the common people of this country would react to the extent that Bolshevism would reign here as in Russia today. Although, he said, “I hate the principles of Bolshevism” yet he stated further that it was partly brought about by oppression akin to what this country is destined to place upon its people if present tendencies are an index to what the future will bring.

His words indicated his stand for a “closed America.” He said “shut the doors of immigration, lock the doors, and throw the keys away.” He would have America settle her own affairs. He would have her keep away from Europe; have nothing to do with European politics. Scorn any agreement that would have the American army and navy go across the waters to foreign lands to fight. He stated that he did not believe American soldiers should be shipped across the sea to fight for foreign lands. They, he said, should never leave this country. Their fighting, according to Mr. Collins, should be done at home, and in home defense.

For this part of his Sunday morning discourse was a preface to the presentation of the Million Dollar Campaign for the Baptist Educational Schools in North Carolina. Although the preface had to do for the most part with politics, his appeal that followed was met with a good response by the ???, the church members. Over a thousand dollars was subscribed, and a committee was appointed to solicit further contributions.