The state rights democrat. [volume] (Albany, Linn County, Oregon) 1865-1900, 1870-03-18
A DEVELOPMENT rOR FOR
EIGN BORN CITIZENS TO
"a >NGONsEDER.

-
from the voting question. Suffrage is
the everlasting subject for Radical tink-
ering. They enlarge in ono direction
and restrict in another-take off here
and put on there, as though popular
patience was beyond the possibility of
exhaustion. Having procured tho
elevation of the inferior races; having
forced amendment upon amendment
and statute upon statute upon the
people, restricting and restraining and
forbidding, under dire penalties, to the
end that there shall be no refusal OF
the ballot to all men without regard to
race, color or previous condition Of
servitude, they have finally begun ali
opposite work in an opposite direction.
"sa,an still some work will find
:, For idlo hands TO do"
| The revision of the naturalization laws
is the latest Republican enterprise.
1t is the Inauguration of a crusade up
on white foreign born citizens. The
major portion of this class vote the
Democratic ticket, and tho persistent
attempt of our opponents to misrep-
resent and degrade them, by legisla-
ting the servile races of Africa and
China above them, has crystalizcd
the white foreign vote against the Re-
publican party. Congress now pro-
poses to overcome this by monstrous
piece of Legislative villainy, and to this
end the House Judiciary Committee
have reported bill, of which the
following. summary appears in the
New York Times:
proceedings for naturalization must be taken
before the United States. circuit district court.
or. where there arc not more than two terms an
nnally of these. before the United States court oi
highest Jurisdiction Of the State. As FIRST ,tep
the applicant must die with tho clerk Of the cour,
notice Of intention to become a citizen. which no.
tiee shall state full particulars Of birth, psrentae
residence arrival in the country. Dc, and be Us,
| give the names OF two citizens who know him per-
sonaiy. The notice is to be Glei. bn, open for
inspection copying. AGt.r four years sahso-
| quest continuous residence In lhc United States
he may apply To of the courts named for ad-
mission 20 citizenship Mt least twenty days before
;he tefm or session thereof lie must live la the
State for the previous six months. and in the dis.
trict, county. parish in which the application Is
made for thirty days. And he must produce one
more credible citizens ~he testify 10 all the
foregoing psrieuiars. also to hi. moral eharae.
ter and fitness generally for admission. Any eiti
rca may produce opposing evidence. II the eour,
is saisaci in tbsapp.ieanfs favos. 1t will give hi
n certificate oi naturalization. ts tske effect SIX
months thereafter. sni 20 stating"
The Tribune protests against the
passage of this bill, because II will
have the effect 'to render our immi-
grant population more unanimousl,
and bitterly hostile to those who pass
ed it." and no wonder that it will do
so. If this bill becomes n law, thous-
ands of foreign born citizens, who have
made declaration of intentions, but
have not completed their naturaliza.
ton, will have to make new applica-
| ton in the new manner prescribed,
and then wait four years for naturali-
zation papers and six months longer
before they can acquire rights under
them. This law will completely and
einphatically interrupt and prevent any
unnaturalized person from acquiring
citizenship for four years and half.
In addition to this, the bill, with
malice prepemse interposes obstacles
to proceedings for naturalization tkat
will, in some cases, be almost insuper-
able and in all cases will be attended
with trouble, vexation and expense.
Declaration of intention now may he
made in State coults. Under the pro-
posed law they must be made in United
States courts. In Oregon the United
States, Circuit and District courts are
held in Portland. Suppose that for
eigners living in Jackson, Grant, Ba.
ker or Union counties desire to become
citizens, they must apply to one OF
these courts. After four years .subse.
quent continuous residence, and afte,
waiting for term, they can make ap-
plication for admission to citizenship.
The applicant must take his witnesses
to court, and. in cases like those
supposed, the expense of travel and
attendance upon term of the court
is considerable. Comparatively few men
will be able to follow this tortuous
and expensive proceeding. The OBJ
ject of this outrageous bill is apparent
It is intended to interrupt the acquir-
ing of citizenship by white foreign born
persons, and we believe that this in
terruption is but the prelude to preven-
ton. By the same insidious means thai
procured the acknowledgements of the in
ferior races, the Radical party may
yet succeed in accomplishing the end
for which the Knownothings of sc SO
vainly struggled.
resolution offered by Bingham for the
/ payment of eoansel fees, etc. incurred by Butler
of Massachusetts, in defending a suit brought
against the United States by Charles Wooicy fol
his action member Of the House, etc., not to