The new North-west., 1890-03-14
SUFFRAGE AND CITIZENSHIP.

Oyerhcaring a discussion some days
since as to whether an alien who has only
declared his intention Of becoming citi
zen of the United States, could vote for
electors for President of the United
States or not, reminds us there is consider
able misunderstanding abroad upon this
subject. 1t is generally thought that a
person must be a full citizen Of the United
States before he can vote for President, or
for Presidential electors, which is the same
thing. This is a mistake The right of
suffrage is not necessary incident of citi-
zenship. The right depends on the law of
the State in which citizen resides, and is
not granted to him by the Constitution of
the United States. The federal Constitu-
tion only provides that he shall not be
depriced of suffrage by reason of his race,
color or previous condition Of servitudc.
Each State has the right to prescribe the
qualifications Of its voters. Naturalization
does not confer the right. Each State
fixes the qualifications and may even give
the ballot to Indians, women and children,
at Il Congressional or Presidential election
need not necessarily be citizen of the
United States. 1t depends upon the State
laws. Many Of the States give the right of
suffrage to persons who have only declared
their intention to become citizens of the
United States. The Constitution of Mon
tana gives the right of suffrage to every
male person Of the agc Of 21 years (con-
Victs not pardoned eNccptedl who shall
have resided in the State one wear, and
provides that after the expiration of five
years from the time Of the adoption of the
Constitution no person except citizens Of
tn" United States shall have the right ia
vote, and until such time shall have
elapsed, every person who had the right al
the time Of the adoption of the Constitu-
ton shall be allowed to vote. At the
Presidential election in 1892 persons who
have declared their intention to become
| citizens of the United States and who had
the right to vote at the time of the adop-
tion of the State Constitution, may vote for
Presidential electors whether they have
become naturalized taken out second
papers or not But after the expiration
Of five years from the time Of the adoption
Of our State Constitution, person in order
TO vote mast be a citizen of the United
States, and not merely have declared hiS
intention to become such.
While only citizens of the United States
can vote after that time, this does not NEAR
that they are the only citizens. The tern
is general and includes men, women ant
children, The federal Constitution say:
| that all persons born or naturalizcd in tllt
| United States and subject to the jurisslic
tion thereon. are citizens 81 the Unitct
| States and Of the State wherein they re
side. Birth in the United States Of alien
| parents creates citizenship unless tho
parent was engaged in diplomatic otfica
| capacity. While Chinese cannot by act o
Congress become citizens Of the tnitet
States by naturalization, still it has beer
even held by the L. S. Circuit Court o
| California that Chinese born Of alcl
| parents within the dominion and jurisdic
tion of the United States, who resd,
| therein and not engaged in the diplomatic
service, are citizens of the Tuited States
| While Il Chinese born in the United State
may be 4 citizen an Indian is not This i
an anomaly. The Indians born in III,
| United States are subject to the jurisdic
tion thereof, and yet they are treated a
alien nations. and the Government deal
with them as Il guardian would with hi
ward. And the Supreme Court has llelt
that though they have separated them
selves from their tribes and reside amoHs
the white citizens of State, they do no
become citizens if they have not been nat
uralizea, or taxed, or recognized n citizen
by the United States, or by any of th'
States.