The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1890-08-29
THE BIpDEFoRp ALIENS.
naturalization Proceedings In the
United States District Court.

The Admiralty Court room in this city was
pretty we'll filed yesterday with applicants
LOT naturalization. TheyIall came from Bid
deford, ald were among those who had OBJ
talned papers from the Biddeford municipal
court, which papers have been declared by
the Supreme Court to be worthless. Judge
Webb was on the bench. Hon. Wilbur +.
Lunt, by request of District Attorney Dyer,
appeared for the United States, and Mr..
Henry |. Lord of Biddeford managed the
case of the applicants.
The first candidate was Gideon Eon, a
French Canadian. He produced witnesses
to prove that he had come to this country
before he was is years of age and had resid-
cd here ever since: that he bore good NOR
al character, and satisfied in all other re-
spects the conditions of admission to citizen
ship. Mr.. Lunt inquired of him if he voted
at the municipal election in Biddeford in
March. He replied that he did. Mr.. Lunt
asked him If he had not been informed that
ne had no right to vote at that time. he re-
pied that he had, and also that he had been
informed that he did have such right. He
declared that when he voted he believed
him if. in case he received naturalization
papers he intended to vote on September Sth.
He replied'that he did. Mr.. Lunt then pro-
ceeded to argue to the court that Eon should
not be admitted to citizenship on the ground
that his action in voting last spring and his
declaration of an intention to vote on Sep
TENDER 9Th showed that he was not we'll dis
posed toward the good order and the happi-
ness of the United States. Eon's act in vot-
ing at the spring election after he had been
informed that he had no right to vote Mr..
Lunt argued was defiance of the law, and
that his declaration that he intended to vote
on September Sth was tantamount to de-
claration that he meditated another defiance
of law. The basis of Mr.. Lunt's second
point was that the constitution Of Maine
prescribed not merely citizenship at the time
of election and three months previous resi-
dence as essential qualifications for the suf-
frage, but that three months previous resi-
dence as citizen was necessary to enttle
man to vote. Ii Eon was naturalized today
he could not possibly reside in Biddeford
three months as a citizen before September
Sth and therefore would not be entitled to
NOoO oA budt udys LID QCOldla
ton therefore that he intended to vote
on September 9Th was a declaration
that he wanted TO do what he would have no
legal right to do. and was essentially an ad-
mission that he intended to violate the law.
Such an admission was inconsistent with his
declaration that he was we'll disposed toward
the good order and happiness of the United
States and disproyed it. Hence it disquali-
fed him from becoming a citizen.
Judge Webb delivered an opinion of con-
siderable length. He said satisfactory evi-
dence had been furnished that Eon came to
this country before he was IS years of age,
and that he had continued to reside here ever
since. and also that he sustained good moral
character. In fact. those points were practi-
cally admitted by the attorney for the gov
ernment The only point in question was as
to whether Eon's act at the last Biddeford
election and his declaration of an intention
to vote at the next one impeached his declar-
alton that he was well disposed toward the
good order and happiness of the United
States. Judge Webb reviewed the circum-
stances of Eon's act and and held that 1t did
not betray on Eon's part DELHI
them at defiance. He therefore ruled that
this act did net disqualify Eon from becom-
ing citizen. Judge Webb also overruled
the second point. saying in effect that when
Eon declared that he intended to vote on
September s If he got his naturalization
papers he fully believed that he would have
a right to vote, and therefore twas not an ex-
preston of intention to violate the law
Whether he would have the right to vote
depended upon the true meaning of the con-
stitution of Maine, which it was for the Su-
preme Court of Maine to construe. Eon was
then admitted to citizenship and the oath
administered to him.
During the day some 15 persons were nat
uralized. and about half dozen rejected,
the most of them on the ground of insuffic-
lent proof of compliance with the statute in
the matter of residence in this country.
The court will be in session today and for
several days to come.