The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1890-04-07
LET HIM BE A CITIZEN.
AN IMMIGRANT MUST NATURAL
IZE AFTER FIVE YEARS.


tion Simon Wolf, few days since, made
remarks touching the bills that are now
pending, which showed that he had care
fully studied the situation, and advanced
ideas thoroughly abreast OF the important
issues at stake. He feels an interest in the
country IN which he forms a part, and be-
lieves in encouraging good immigration,
and enforcing the laws rigidly and strictly.
Ur. Wolf-Mr. Chairman and gentlemen, /
shall be very brief In answer to the question
propounded to Dr. Bartholdt. will say that my
| opinion is, and has been. that those regulations
| enacted and existing from the earliest period OF
our national history were enacted for the pur-
pose or protecting the purity Of the ballot. That
| Is, when persons first came they would have to
| make declaration that they would become
citizens. Otherwise, If you have not that pro-
baton time, they could be rushed by wholesale
| TO the ballot box. Naturalization in many cities
of the country, as is too well known, is very
| easily procured. 1t fixes a time, it gives them
an incentive and hope of permanent citizen
ship in the future by the probationary period of
| two years.
know nothing about the laws of Missouri In
that particular, or the laws Of particular states
but II any laws exist in the different states that
are in conflict with the laws of the United States
| | think It is high time that the United States
| passed such laws as will do away with the laws
of the states which come in conflict with the in
tereStS of the United States.
| Representative Brewer-But the states fix the
qualification of voters. The states themselves
| do that.
Mr.. Wolff understand. | doubt very much,
| when the laws of the United States give a man
the right to vote on national issues, whether the
| states can deprive him of that right.
Representative lBfewer-The national laws
do not fix the elective franchise.
| Mr.. WoLF-Then the sooner you make them
do 1t the better we will be off.
| AS 10 the disqualification ask why should
| any foreigner, whether he is ignorant or not
| n in fyrill E1ac nd
compare favoraby with those to the manor
| born. Why should any laws be enacted to dis
qualify by national legislation those foreigners
VINO cannot read and write when you have not
been a6le TO pass any laws in our own country
| dlsquaitying people by national legislation
| who cannot read or writer There is no reason
| why that should be done. There is no con-
sistency in it,
| Laws to be respected must be consistent, and
| TO be consistent they must be uniform in all
| their character, bearing alike upon all classes
| OF people whether applying to those who have
| q right by birth or those who come by inherit
| ance as to the legislation enacted by congress.
| In regard to the bills now pending, can only
say that what has been voiced by my friend
| Rosewateri and by DR.. Bartholdt, and by the pro-
test which has been read voices the sentiment
| IN my Judgment, not only Of the German
| American citizen, but of every citizen who has
carefully studied the why's and wherefores of
good government. In my judgment the best
policy is to let good enough alone. You cannot
| cure evils that rise momentarily ana spaSmodl-
| has been proven time and time again, you can
| not cure evils by legislation, You can by educa
ton and by public sentiment. All this legisla-
ton that IS aimed to restrict that which does
| not suit the one or the other legislator or the
| one or tue other party is in Keeping with laws
| of prohibition which do not prohibit, civil ser
vice laws which do not furnish you the best
talent, because it has got to be backed by politi
| calinfluence, and all other laws OF that charac-
ter. For instance, il one party is unsuccessful
| in state, Immediately gerrymander bill is
IS
which is the natural result of a change Of a
political sentiment in the community and which
| takes care of itself.
So it is in regard to immigration. These bills
have bee1 engendered and brought about and
produced by a feeling existing IN the minds Of
many of the legislators, and of both political
parties no doubt, principally Of the one have
the good fortune 20 belong to land have always
| been consistent member thereby in regard to
| the foreign voter. The truth Of the matter is it
| hes not been brought about by change in the
| foreign voter. but it baS been brought about by
a change in the parties that have gone back on
| their own principles, and who have changed
| Numerically from that which they promised
when these people became citizens of the
| United States. II in some of the western
states large change has been made in political
parties where 10000 and so, coo majority existed
| in one party, and now the other party has been
triumphant, il is due solely to the fact that the
German immigrant who is a citizen and has
cast his lot with our country. has bscome thor
| oughly demoralized and disguised with the leg
|
| metrically opposite to his idea of personal
liberty, aud of liberty of the citizen of every
class of the United States
We are not here vocing anarchism or social
ism. We frown it down as any other, for we
| have a common interest with every citizen of
the United States. Our destiny is cast here
Our children are born here. Our happiness and
the future happine of the whole world con
centrate in our institutions. and we are as earn
est in taking care of them and perpetuating
them as any other class of men, no matter
whether his ancestry has been three hundred
| years in this country.
| We have minister here present representing
| a large Lutheran or Reformed constituency
| who is member of this conference. whose
sentiments accord with ours. Every moral
ana intelligent citizen voices the same senti.
| ment as ours Ives.
What you ought to do, and in that direction
You may be able to originate legislation is to
enact a compulsory law compelling man TO be
a citizen of the United States Change your
laws in that respect Do not favor people hold
ing office or securing any immunity or any
recognition in the country unless they have an
interest in the country itself, in its welfare. and
in its character, and ia its institutions. After q
man has been five years here and has had a
choice as to whether he shall become citizen
| of the United States or not, give him the alter
native, and il he does not choose to become a
citizen let him 20 back.
The Oh airman-Would you force him back:
Mr.. Wolf y would force him to go back, for
would not have q condition of things exist as il
did during our late civil war. when some men
had been here twenty and twenty -fve years
had amassad great wealth. had crowded out
other industries, AMI when the crisis came of
our country's peril they fled to their consulates
for protection. would have no condition of
thinks like that
would make man feel an interest in the
country OF which he forms part. ! would not
let them come here and make money. and then,
like the Chinese, go back to be buried and send
their wealth there. or send their wealth to Eng
land, or Italy. or Germany, or wherever else
and when they have earned sufficient go there
and laugh at our institutions aud derlde our
country No on the contrary. | would make
him choose DO you want to be a citizen OF
the United States or do you want to 20 back
The time has come when either your interest in
the country is necessary or your room will be
more preferable
Representative Owen-Your position then is
free immigration and enforced citizenship?
! Mr.. Wolf-My idea is TO encourage good I'M
migration and to enforce the laws rigidly and
strictly that We have. Last night was invited
to q banquet in the city of Baltimore composed
| of $50 of my nationality. They were ENJOYING
their twenty-ifth anniversary. Men, women
and children were there ENJOYING themselves
Seven-eighths of them had been born on the
other side of the ocean They are among the
most wealthy, sturdy, intelligent and moral
people of the city of Baltimore
l say here openly that as they were so 95 per
cent. of the immigration from Europe was and
is, that is, they did not have cent when they
came When landed with my grand parents
in 194S in the city of New York, boy. anxious
to acquire citizenship. leaving my friends at
| home. did not have cent, and vet the United