San Antonio daily light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1886-1907, 1890-06-13
NATIVE AMERICAN.

upon a recent utterance OF the LIGHT
on immigration, seems to see in that
article a leaning toward "native
Americanism, and comments thus
"The laws already restrict immi-
| grafton. Chinese paupers and crlml-
nails are excluded. What is most
needed is the extension of the period
of immigration and the period foreign
ers should be required to live in the
country before being allowed to vote.
The present constitu ton of Texas pro-
vides that foreigners who shall have
declared their intentions to become
citizens and shall have resided over
six mon this in the country shall have
the right to vote.n
The News has not misunderstood
the LIGHT to any alarming extent.
This journal is not in any wise native
American, in the sense of debarring
foreign-born citizens from holding
office, nor is it absolutely opposed to
all immigration, but it does believe
in law restricting immigration far
beyond the scope of any now
upon the statute books. The
LIGHT hardly understands what
the News means by 1.-The extern
sion of the period of immigration"
but it agrees with the suggestion that
the period of foreigner residence
in this country should be extended
before he is naturalized and given
citizenship privileges. The LIGHT Is
an advocate of extended residence
prior to citizenship, as a necessity i'll
preserving our institutions from be-
coming foreignized. The country
would be the gamer did congress re-
quire at least five years actual resi-
dence before citizenship could be Sc
cured, ten would be better, and such
acquaintance with the language OF
this country as would enable the APP
plicant for citizenship to read the
constitution and the laws under
standingly. In the early history of
the country it may have been neces-
sary to multiply citizens, and brief
residence was all required, yet there
are many who do not think the laws
ever con templated citizenship privi-
Ieges until the full citizenship papers
were granted. Whatever may have
been the necessity IN other years, If
necessity there was, none such now
exists. The proportion of citizens,
voters, who cannot speak our Ian
guage, or understand our governments
is far greater than is at all prudent or
profitable. Our country becomes un-
Americanized under such conditions,
and we lose by it as nation. Five,
or ten, years residence should be re-
CURED; no declaration of intentions
asked, the applicant for citizenship
called into court and required TO
prove the period of his residence,
show that he had never been
| indicted or tried for felony,
and prove up respectable
character and knowledge of the Ian
guage. So much for citizenship. AS
for restricted immigration it is not
enough to exclude paupers, crimi-
nails and Chinese. 1t would take ten
or fifteen years without another ship
load of immigrants to AmericanlZe
those already here. 1t will take
from five to ten years development
of our manufactures before we will
find a bread and meat market fol
the gra and meat our present agrl'
cultural area supplies. The foreign
market is closing against our food
products year by year. The pouring
into our agricultural fields of hun
dreds of thousands of farm laborer'
is suicidal This country has room
for skilled mechanics, and it is the
only kind of immigration for which
she will have any need for a decade
Protection is not protection unless /
protects the IabOrer from ruinous com
petition in labor, as we'll as the pro
ducts of labor.
The Houston Post eulOgizes Presi