River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1880-10-14
NATURALIZED CITIZENS.
What the Law Requires OF Persons
Who Desire 10 Esecome Citizens Of
The limited STATES

The intense interest which will be
felt in the approaching presidential
election warrants the assurance that
every male resident of the United
States who has arrived at the age of q
years will desire to vote. There are
many persons who, through careless
ness, may have neglected to take the
necessary steps To entitle them to all
the privileges of citizenship, and they
should proceed at once to obtain the
necessary papers, in order to avoid the
throng and delay which will follow
later ON, as election day approaches.
To these persons the following iuforma-
ton will be valuable:
There are two classes of applicants
for citizenship: Those who arrive in
this country before they reach the age
of Is years, and those who come here
after they have passed that age.
With regard to those who come here
after they are Is years of age, the pro-
cess of naturalization is quite simple.
They must make declaration of their
intention to become citizens, which
must be done in a court of common
law jurisdiction, which has clerk and
u y
of this declaration is given
to the applicant, which he
should carefully keep. Having obtain
ed this certified copy he can then APP
ply for a full certificate for his citizen
ship two years thereafter; provided,
however, that he has resided for five
consecutive years in the United States,
and the one Immediately preceding
the application in the state wherein he
applies for admission. Each applicant
must then have witness to certify to
such facts under oath and in open
court. 1t is not necessary that such
witness should be citizen himself
The witness must be prepared there to
certify:
l. That he is acquainted with the
applicant, and knows of Ills own
knowledge that he is the identical per-
son mentioned in the certified copy of
the declaration of intention.
,. That the applicant has had con
tinuous residence for the preceding
five years in the United States Ia tenn
porary absence for business or pleasure
does not break the continuity, nor does
the fact of any person engaged in the
marine service being almost constantly
away interfere, provided the intention
is declared and he deems the place OF
the application his home), and also
that the applicant has resided the pre-
ceding year III the state in which the
application is made.
3. That the applicant is a person of
good moral character, adapted to the
principles of the constitution of the
United States, and we'll disposed to
the good order and happiness of the
same.
With regard to the first class the pro
cess is somewhat different. Minors
that is, those who have arrived in this
country intending to remain, before
they are Is years of age, are not re-
quired to make formal declaration of
their intention to become citizens
Nevertheless, they will be required to
certify before judge that it has al
ways been their intention to become
citizens. The minor must have wit
ness who can swear positively to the
following facts,
|. That he is personally acquainted
with the applicant, and knew him in
this country before he was Is years Of
age. This, i'll many eases, is very
difficult to do, particularly in those
cases where the applicant was between
the 18th and 18th birthday when he
landed. In such cases the applicant
should, if possible, bring some one of
his relatives, if he have any and if he
have none, then he should be able to
show some documentary evidence
Il 1. Al,
ments of himself and his witness.
. That he knows that the applicant
is over u years ofage.
3. That he knows that the applicant
has had continuous residence of five
years next preceding in the United
States, and one Immediately preceding
in the state where the application is
made.
/. That it has been the intention Of
the applicant to become a citizen.