Wyandot County Republican. [volume] (Upper Sandusky, Ohio) 1869-1903, 1870-04-01
NATURALIZATION
REFORM ~


Naturalization Laws. The proba-
tionary term, required by the pres
ent law, is entirely too long. 1t was
well enough when the nation was
weak aud danger was apprei,ended
from foreign p overs but that time
has happily gone by. The present
law is no protection against frauds,
for the reason that the bad foreign
ers vote at the very first election af-
ter they alight from the ship, while
the honest, Industrious and law
abiding ones are compelled to wait
five years before they can cast a
vote. This is manifest injustice,
and we hope the law will be speedily
modified. Within the last two years
we have conversed with a large
number of leading Republicans,
from different parts of the country,
and have been exceedingly gratified
to find them so unanimous in the
conviction that the present Law is
unjust and that it ought to be radi-
cally modified. They say, and with
great truth, that during the late war,
We gladly allowed foreigners to en-
list in the Union army without any
probation whatever. Thousands of
these men went to the front ard did
gallant fighting for the old flag. a
stranger to them. There was no
desertion, but they defended their
adopted country with the same
courage and fidelity that character
lied the natives. And, if no proba-
tion before entering the Union ar:
my, at that most critical period of
the Republic, was deemed necessary,
why keep on the Statute book a
law which requires the foreigner to
wait five years before he can have
any say as to those who shall rule
over him. He is compelled to pay
taxes as soon as he possesses prop
erty. This is all right, but in our
Judgment great wrong to deprive
him of his vote for such an unnec-
essary length of time. What change
then ought there to be made in the
existing law9 This. Allow every
man, who comes to the United
States, renounces all allegiance to
his native country and declares his
intention of making this Republic
his future and permanent home, to
take cut his naturalization papers
Us soon as he pieases after landing,
lroviling he shall not vote for two
or two and a half years after said
papers have been issued.
Vice President Colfax, in letter
to'us on this very subject, written
sometime since, says:
Il have felt that the probation af-
ter naturalization and before voting,
is more important to prevent the
aross frauds that exists, than the
previous probationary term"
We trust that those Republican
members of Congress, who have i'm
lnortalizel their names. 10y their
patriotism, wisdom and God-like
legislation for the oppressed and
uespised of our country, will take
hold of this matter and speedily wipe
out the oppressive, narrow-minded
feature in the law. No nation can
:fford to be more generous towards
tnose industrious, honest and patri-
"tlc men, whom the expressions OF
tue deviIish rulers and aristocracy OF
Tie old world have compelled to
leave their native homes and dear
friends, to cast their lot among us.
God alone can know fully the vast
iuestimable blessings which this
country and its benign institutions,
has conferred upon the millions that
have sought home in the same
All appreciate this, and we sincerely
believe that this Governme ent could
find no truer defenders in case OF
foreign wars, than the adopted citi
zens. AS a general rule, every adop-
ted citizen remembers his mother
country as the land Of expressions
this as The benefactor of all under
it's flag. OF course, we. are well
aware that corrupt politicians often
lead adopted citizens to vote fol
bad m,n and measures. but ,the ma
tives are fully subject TO the same
abuses, and we would add that the
very lowest and most rotten poll
ticians, that ever disgraced this
country, were men that were born
here, and in very many instances,
educated by the Government. which
they afterwards betrayed, as, for in
stance, jeff Davis and his comrades,
in the South, and Vallandigham d
Co., in the North.
AS we have long since said in