The morning call., 1890-07-13
AN ALIEN LAW.

Whatever Congress may do in the way of
regulating foreign immigration in the fu-
ture 1t is tolerably certain that the immi-
grafton laws as they stand will not remain
much longer in force. Under the Constitu-
ton the power TO decide the terms on which
aliens may settle in this country rests
with Congress. But in fact a number of
States have usurped that power, without
remonstrance from Washington. The Fed
eral law declares that an alien shall not eX-
ercise the suffrage until he has resided five
years in the country, and unless two years
before he applies for naturalization he has
declared his intention to renounce his for
mer allegiance and TO become citizen of the
United States. The law further provides
that the applicant for the right 10 vote
must be person Of good moral character,
attached to the principles of the Constitu-
ton of the United States and well disposed
to the good order and happiness of the same
But in point of fact at least sixteen of the
furty-thTee States permit aliens to vote
without five years residence, without any
previous declaration of intention and with
out any evidence of moral character OF dis
position. Those States are Alabama, Ar
kansas, Colorado, Florida, Indiana, Kansas,
Louisiana, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri
the two Dakotas, Oregon, Texas, Wisconsin
and Wyoming.
This notification of Federal statute by
State action is an anomaly which cannot be
excused by State appetite for population. 1t
injects into our politics an element which
the trainers of the Constitution and of the
naturalization acts very properly regarded
as fraught with danger. To it, in some de-
of 10 nj Of ur ani
lation may perhaps be traced, and it is quite
possible that, were it continued, it might
have the effect of warping the legislation
of the future very seriously. At the rate
at which Europe is emplying itself into this
country, if the newcomers are placed on the
same footing as natives, or those who have re-
sided in the Union long time. before they
become acquainted with our political system
the original element might be so submerged
that it would be difficult to find it. We had
the other day in this city an applicant for
naturalization who not only knew nothing
of the framework of the nation of which he
proposed TO become a member, but who
could not speak the language. A eOplouS
dilution of the American stock with such
ingredients would be likely to change its
character altogether
The power of nation to determine who
may and who may not become members
thereof was so clearly expounded by Story
that the general proposition no longer ad-
mits of debate But the maintenance of
friendly relations with allies and neighbors
involves modification of the right OF Gov
eminent to exclude aliens altogether; nor
indeed, as matter of policy could such n
general exclusion be reconciled with a
sound regard for the public welfare. With
in certain limits the mixture of races is
beneficial, but those limits are crossed when
it is proposed to dump into this country
whole populations, especially if they rank
low in the scale of civilization. 1t is quite
within the power Of the United States, for
instance, to notify Turkey that the whole
sale deportation Of Armenians to this coun-
try-which is said to be in contemplation
will not be tolerated, and to notify any
State which allows newly landed aliens TO
vote for members Of Congress thatthe right
Of their delegations to assume their seats
will be reviewed by the Committee on
Elections.
Who are and who are not citizens of the
United States belongs exclusively to Con-
gress to determine, and 1t is time that a
Federal statute should check the tendency
of States TO encroach upon a province
which is of its nature national