The Portland daily press., 1868-11-18

...-,,,Jant wants Congress Emporium
.o.a n low reouiring of foreigners twen-
tv.one years residence IN America before 'hey
-, haoone VOTERS. He also desires that
heavy fee should be exacted Il persons who
nronose to emierate to this country, the sane
to be paid to United States c3nsuls before
starting, with a view TO check the great tide of
emigration.
Our own idea is that the best use that men
can be pnt to is to make American citizens Of
them, and that troublesome as the raw foreign
element is, it would be far more incurabiy
troublesome were it not that they are speed-
lily e lucatel in the great school OF Amer-
can politics. 1t is true most foreigners Fo'e
with the Democrats for the first few years.
But that is only an apprenticeship winch 'ney
sever in their calow days. If they voted with
the Democracy all their lives it would be bet
Ter Than not to vote at ali We need least of
all things a class that is excluded from partic-
patton in the affairs OF the body polite Such
class is always dangerous one, and every
individual of it is Il natural enemy of the
state. There are rumors OF resusctation oil
the old Know Nothing ghost, but it is sure to
9 "down' at the emphatic bidding OF the people.
All we want is faithful observance of the
provisions of the naturalization laws. and
that we shall have, perhaps, it the committee
appointed in New York city to investigate the
outrageous frauds in the late election docs lis
duty. That committee has hired an office, and
will go Systematically to work to ferret out the
most audacious and successful piece of sooun-
drelsm that has yet diseraced our civilization.
When mcu who are legal voters under our
present very libsr raj naturalization laws APP
proach the polls, and no others, we shall be
content. The prejudice against Foreigners
is in some minds as iiiberal and irrational as
that of our Democratic brethren against mig
gers" or of the unreconstructed Chinese
against "outside barbarism" What!-are We
not all brothers? Did not Heaven give this
continent to all the races of the earth for The
enjoyment of free government? Were not
our faith srs carpetb aggers here? We should
as soon think Of asking Congress to pass law
d cntins off foreigners from their Just proper
ton OF sunlight, to adopt the suggestion OF
our correspondent. We need the enierants
too, as much as they need America. The ben
efits are mutual and should the kindness o
feeling and action be.
sa In will be remembered that when Green, the
Maiden murderer, was executed the rope
stretched SO tina. it was necessary for thu
sherif's deputies to take hold OF it and raise
~ him up while he was strangling. The ohe
sc day a man named Rufus B. Anderson wa
3. hung IN Nevada. The knot gave way three
times, and three times the young man fell t.
the earth. Finally the officers succeeded il
breaking his,neck to the great deectation o
"a the crowd in attendance Repeatedly within
tue last year persons, who we're afterwards
found to be innocent have been executed
Idiots and maniacs have also in several in.
stances been brought to the gallows, in the
presence OF vast multitudes. This is the sort
of entertainment to which the people of Maine
are invited, if the present law is To be con.
tinued, and if precedent for stranging prs-
oners is to be established by the execution OF
Harris. If we must have capital punishment
why not have the guiotine? That method OF
legal murder is comparatively humane. When
the axe is down the mans head is off and
there is an end of it. There are no protracted
agonies and the crowd has no such prolonged
entertainment az is furnished by the gaiows
Let us have the guiliotne in Maine by all
means, and the heads Of Thorne, Matthews
Smith, Preble, Griffin, Blake, Doyle, Richard
son, Elliott, keenan, and Harris all in one
basket.