Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1890-02-20
MAKING CITIZENS.


jurist pointed out what this journal has
frequently called attention to in the last
few years, that while the naturalization
laws unquestionably may be improved by
amendment, their abuse in the present is
largely due to the failure of the Courts to
satisfy themselves, as the law intended
they should be, that applicants are fit per-
sons to be invested with the toga of citi-
zenship.
Certainly the point made by the Judge
is strong wherein he claims that the pro-
stationary period of i've years was intended
to give the applicant an opportunity to
fully and fairly inform himself concerning
the order of the government to which he
proposes to attach himself, and to become
acquainted with the principles that under
lie it, and therefore it is the duty of the
Court to ascertain if he has improved it.
As the law now stands, and probably in
that respect it cannot be thoroughly
amended, the Courts must take the state
ment of the applicant that he is attached
to the principles of the republic. Evidence
of a negative character, however, might be
adduced to contradict the applicant if he
has been engaged in overt acts calculated
to show that he is not, in truth, sincere in
his declaration, or, indeed, his expressions
may be introduced to contradict his state
ment in Court. But, unfortunately, there
is no one whose business it is to search out
and produce such evidence if it exists, and
for that very reason the RECORD UNION
has contended that it should be made the
duty of some official to appear against the
applicant and resist his application. If he
is sincere, if he is a man of good moral
character, orderly disposed and otherwise
fit to become citizen, he can take no
harm by such resistance, for these are facts
to which his conduct and expression in the
probationary period ought to testify.
But as Judge Buckles says, in the alb
sence of such resistance, it certainly is the
duty of the Court to examine the appli-
cant severely and thoroughly. 1t is noto-
rious that in the majority of cases this is
not done, for, as our correspondent puts it,
Judges are too easily satisfied of the fitness
of the candidate for the honors of citizen
ship. This is in fact the rule. There are
some notable exceptions in which Judges
take infinite pains to ascertain by personal
catechising of the applicant whether he
understands what he is doing; whether he
has fair comprehension of the system of
our government whether there is in his
mind any reservation; whether he ac-
knowledges the edicts of any church, soci-
ETY. or organization as superior to the laws
of the land whether he honestly for
swears allegiance to all foreign potentates,
princes and rulers; whether he under
stands how our laws are made and is
conscious of his obligation to obey and
maintain them. even to the extent of TAX
ing up arms against any other power or
authority; whether he is tainted with
anarchism or has been convicted of any in
famous offense; whether he has read, or
heard read, the Constitution of the United
States and of the State, and sincerely in
tends to defend them if called upon so to
do. All these and other matters the
Court should ascertain by such question
ing of the applicant as it sees fit to en-
gage in.
As matter Of fact, the practice of
making voters" is largely pro lorna, a
mere perfunctory proceeding, and not en-
gaging the attention of the Courts to even
the extent that they woHld be interested
in ascertaining tie truth concerning
charge of petit larceny. There are, for
tunately, some Courts that esteem the
Office of investing man with the regalia
of citizenship as one of the most important
and solemn of their duties, but that these
are few is, as we have said, notorious.
Happily we have reason to believe that
greater strictness is insisted upon in Sac
ramento county than in very many juris
dietions, and that the effort is made to
check the pro tormd naturalizations. What
is needed is more Judges who, like the
few who do their whole duty in this mat
ter, turn away applicants who are not
clearly fit in all respects to be invested
with the privileges of American citizen
ship.
So long, however, as this matter is left
to the discretion of the Courts, and the
Courts are the result of political choice,
and the Judges are compelled 70 dicker
with politicians, we may not expect re-
form unless the naturalization laws are
SO amended as to require an appearance
in behalf of the people to be made against
the applicants to test their capacity to as
sumo the new and lofty function FOR which
they are ambitious. Had we the making
of the laws, this would not be the limit of
amendment and improvement. On the
contrary, the probationary period should
be greatly extended, and something more
than the formal testimony of two convent
ent witnesses should be presented to the
Courts in support of the application. In
deed, we would SO order the proceeding
that public notice for some considerable
period should be given with great pub
licity of the intention of applicants to
ask for the Office of the citizen.
If absent heirs minors, creditors and
Others in lesser proceedings of probate and
bankruptcy and the like, are protected by
pukic published notice and by appearance
by special representatives of the law, be-
fore their rights can be passed upon in the
Interests of others, how much more is it
important that the people of the United
States through wide publicity should have
notice Of the intention of a stranger on a
certain day to appear and ask admission
to the household of free men. Ii one must,
during the many years of young manhood,
refrain from the exercise of the elective