Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1888-02-25
THE NEW REGISTER.
Reasons for Registration-How Unqual-
lied Electors are Qualified.


ii necessary to require registration of the
voters of the county, now that there were
three things that made it necessary
namely: list, the names of the dead; ID,
the names of absentees, and Sd. The names
of persons not legally qualified electors
appearing on the Great Register; hence, TO
dispose OF the names of the dead and alb.
sentees is matter that can be easily dis.
posed of in re.registration, but the third
class of names is not so easily disposed of,
from the fact that this class Of persons have
perjured themselves already in order to
get their names on the register Polite
ally, the people of the State are citizens
who are electors and citizens who are not
electors. All persons born in this State
and residing within it, except the children
OF transient aliens and of alien public
ministers and consuls, and all persons born
within the jurisdiction of the United States
and are living within this State, also
THOSE BORN IN FOREIGN COUNTRY
Whose fathers became citizens by natural
izaiion before they (the childrenl were 81
years of age, and those born in a foreign
country of Ministers and Conslls of the
United States, as well as transient tourists
whose residence is in this State, are citizens
of this State. Therefore. we have four
kinds of citizens, viz: First, natural born
citizens; second, citizens by naturalization
of the father; third, foreign born citizens
by citizenship of the parents. and fourth,
citizens by naturalization. In order for
citizens Of the first class to become cleo
tors each and every one must make an
affidavit giving, first, his name in full !:
second, his age; third, State he was born
IN fourth, place OF residence Ward or
precncD. The second class must make
similar affidavit or deposition reciting all
the facts set forth in the first and in addi-
ton thereto his fathers nativity, and that
his father
ENIGRATED TO THE UNITED STATES
And became citizen thereof, and that at
the time of such naturalization, deoonent
was resident Of the United States and
under the age of q years. and that by
virtue OF his fathers naturalization de-
ponent became citizen of the United
States. The citizens of the third class
become electors by making the same
affidavit as citizens of the first class, and a
citizens of the fourth class must produce
his cerulcate OF naturalization, provided
that in case he has lost or misplaced his
certificate he make an affidavit setting forth
facts of loss, etc, and state the place of his
nativity and the time and place of his
naturalization, provided however if such
naturalized citizen shall have been pre-
vlousiv registered as qualified elector in
any of the counties of the State, his name
must not be entered by the Clerk unless he
produces
CERTIFICATE or SUCH REGISTRATION,
Which certificate shall be prima facie evil
dence OF his naturalization. Certainly the
Clerk and Assessor and their deputies.
whose sworn duty 1t is 10 support the Con-
stitution of the United States and the Con-
stitution of the State of California and to
faithfully perform the duties pertaining to
their offices according to law, will not vio-
late their oaths in order to save an alien
the sum of four or five dollars in securing
his naturalization papers; nevertheless, the
writer is satisfied from looking up the
records of past officials in said CAPACITY
that such has been the case. In one in
stance the record shows that certain party
was naturalized in Miluaka county. Illinois
and when asked whether he had ever been
in the State of Illinois. said: mo. sir: |
meyer was in but one State in the United
States east of the Rocky Mountains that
was New York State. ! crossed that State
from Canada to New York city and took
the steamer and came around the Horn :"
This case shows that the Deputy Assessor
took advantage of
THE ILLITERATE ALIEN
By filling out an affidavit and having fbe
party sign 1t, thereby making him believe
that he was naturalzed and everything was
all right and to-day the writer believes
that the same party referred to believes
himself legally naturaiized, when, as q
matter OF fact, he has not complied with
any part of the naturalization laws of the
United States, nor, as matter of fact, is he
citizen of the United States Yet he has
exercised the right of suffrage for num-
Der OF years, and has usurped the emolu-
ments OF a public Office in this county.
thereby having laid himself criminalIy
liable, and unknowingly too. The offender
IN this case certainly is the officer deputy
So ASSESSOR, taken from a moral stand
point, though ignorance is no excuse for
crime in this country of free schools. vet
the party referred to was born in a country
where the right of clergy Tor to learn to
read and write) was given only to a privil-
eyed class, while others had to remain in
ignorant bliss.
THE OBJECT OF REL REGISTRATION
AS the writer understands it, is to place
the names of all legally qualified citizens
upon the new Great Register and to avoid
placing the NAMES of those not legally
qualified on the register; and we believe it
the duty OF the Clerk and his deputies and
the Assessor and his deputies not 10 regis
ter any person that cannot fully and en-
tlrely comply with the laws pertaining to
registration and by all means avoid regis
tSi ms dil6uS w no nave ilOL ndQ Inc courage
and moral character to become citizens
by naturalization frs. before attempting To
become electors.
Section HOS, Political Code of California.
reads as follows -" If the Clerk refuses 10
enter the name Of any qualified elector of
the county upon the Great Register. such
elector may proceed by action in the Supe-
rlor Court TO compel such entry" From
which is inferred certain discretionary
baS in
pecially where the applicant is
NOT LEGALLY QUALIFIED IN HIS OPINION.
He can refuse to enter his name upon the
Great Register. and if the applicant thinks
that he is legally qualified to become an
elector, he has his remedy in the Superior
Court as provided in said section above re-
ferred to.
Another instance the writer thinks it
stretching the meaning of the law in rela-
ton thereto, from which an applicant seeks
to be admitted as a citizen and elector.
This party claims that his father. MANY
years before he was born, emigrated to the
United States and became citizen of the
United States by naturalization, and after
living in the United States for several wears
returned TO Ireland, his native country, and
there married, settled down in life, and
that he was the issue of that marriage, that
his father and mother live now, and have
continuously, ever since their marriage,
lived in Ireland. Query:
is HE A LEGALLY QUALIFIED vorER
Of the United States and can he become
an elector by making the same deposition
that citizen OF the second class makes in
order to become an elector of this State Z?
No, certainly he cannot. because of this
clause in the deposition referred to, which
is as follows: " Aud that at the time of
such naturalization of his father deponent
was resident of the United States" The
applicant could not have resided in the
United States at that time, because it was a
score of years before he was born. Yet
parties have made such affidavits and a
Deputy Clerk or Deputy Assessor allowed
the party to falsely make the same, know
1ng at the same time that the party was
periuring himself when he did it,
don't know but what my article is a
little too severe on deputies, but | think
that all that has been said can be substan-
tiated by ample proof.
THE H0RTICULTURISTS.
Free Trade Declared For Discussion
Upon Other Subjects.