Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1885-06-11
Bayard's Chance.

| When Democratic paper, welcom
ing Secretary BayarC to this State, tells
him that mo very interesting question
involving the rights of American citi.
zens and the honor of our flag may be
presented to him." it is time for some
other Missouri Democrat to protest.
A young MissOurian born Of natur.
| lied parents on Missouri soil was tax.
en- from a school in Germany and fore.
ed to serve in the German army as a
| German subject, and when the case
| was submitted to President Grants
A Attorney-General the latter held in
substance that our Government had
| no right to complain, since an existing
treaty authorized Germany to make an
invidious distinction between Ameri-
can citizens of German blood and all
other American citizens-to disregard
the citizenship of the former and to
deal with them and their American
| born sons as German subjects, if they
should dare to return to Germany for
a longer stay than two years. The
fourth article of the Bancroft treaty of
1868 contained the following provisions:
eff German naturalized in America re-
news his residence in North Germany with
out the intent to return to America, he shall
be held to have renounced his naturaliZa-
ton in the United States. The in
tent not to return may be held to exist when
the person naturalized in the one country
resides more than two years in the other
country.'
American citizenship is dishonored
and it's rights are outraged by our own
Government every hour that this dis
graceful and humiliating treaty is con-
tinued in force. II Mr.. Bayard does
not give prompt notice of the intention
of our Government to terminate it as
soon as possible, unless Germany in
the meantime consents to mOdifica-
ton of its odious features, he will not
meet the expectations raised by his re-
cen: Endorsement of the Marcy position
Oh the Koszto case. 1t is ridiculous to
talk about protecting as American citi-
zens in Mexico persons who have only
declared an intention to become citi-
zens, while we formally authorize Ger
many to treat fully naturalized citizens
OF the United States as German sub
jects, if they are of German blood and
dare to soiourn in Germany as long as
other Americans have right to.
The only apology for the treaty of
1868 on our part is that the clause re-
stricting the residence of German
Americans in Germany was to prevent
them from being using American nat
uralization papers with German resi-
dence to escape military service in both
countries, and from claiming Amerl-
can interference and protection when
their American citizenship was acquir-
ed, not in good faith, but with the in
tention of returning to Germany TO re.
main there as agitators and plotters Of
treason. This Is an absurd apology,
because a residence Of less than two
wears in Germany would enable any
German-A merican to dodge so rare a
thing as q military draft i'm this coun-
try and American citizenship does not
protect any man in the commission of
treason, felony or other crime against
the laws OF any foreign country in
which he may be sojourning.
On the other hand, it is not consist
ent with the honor and dignity of this
Republic to discriminate against any
class of its citizens in regard to their
rights as sojourners abroad. or to con-
sent to any such discrimination by any
foreign government. The simple truth
is that a German, educated by political
life in America and prosperous enough
to reside in the Fatherland while his