The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1890-09-24
WOULD BE VOTERS.
Some Incidents Of the Work of
Registration.
MANY WHO NEED INTERPRETERS.
Old Residents Have Neglected to Be-
come observation-disclosures Arrivals
Want to Vote.

The registration Of voters just completed has
brought TO light . number Of interesting fac's
which illustrate the workings OF the election
and naturalization laws and the cloudy ideas
which some persons have on the subject. The
majority Of these incidents have relation to the
naturalization of foreignsrA Though the pre-
vailing element Of the population Of Seattle Ii
American, there arc large numbers OF persons
here of foreign birth with whom great officially
was experienced Many Of them sre residen .
OF long sanding and thought th at they could
reesSter by showing their first papers" When
Informed that they must show final papers,
they waxed wrathy and one Old gentleman who
has lived in Seattle for thirty years said TO the
clerk very trutnfuiIy:
why, l was In this town before you were
borlI'
These men had caselessly neglected to secure
certificates Of naturalization. and under the old
law had teen voting or frst papers for many
years. Others there were who took part In some
such dialogue - this:
"Where were you b0rnT'
ain England
''where did you come from to seattlef"
'.Victoria"
"now long have You been in this cosn:ry'"
about . week.
'What do you want to register for?"
''oh, I'm just going to stay here little while,
and thought might a. we'll get in q VOTE
age were refused registration.
Another point broHgnt out was that many
naturalized citizens have not vet learned to
speak the language of their adopted country.
The most striking instance Of this kind was an
Austrian who has lived in America forty years
and yet cannot speak q word OF English. He
hsd 10 secure the aid of IN interpreter 10 all
swer the clerks questions. though he proved
himself to be q full nedged citizen. Many 9TH
ers had TO do the same, though, a. they possessed
oil the legal requirements, they went on the
register. Some, however. had evidently been
c0acned for the occasion in the questions that
would be put aud which had to be answered.
This was shown by the fact that If the form Of
question was varied from the usual wording
they oid not understand IL. Thus the question
"What is your ase?" would meet with o stupid
stare, but II it was changed to How Old are
your" il met win ready response.
enc intricate point Of law was brought out.
An applicant said that he was born in Engiand.
but that his mother secured q divorce from his
father, and during his minority removed 10
America and married an American citizen. He
claimed to be citizen by virtue o. his mothers
marriage to an American A lawyer was sum.
moned 10 solve the doubt, and he produced a
decision of the United States supreme court
thai, In such q case, the mothers marriage 10
an AMT ican naturslized her minor children by
. foreign first husband
The registration law has served one good pur-
pose. II removes the decision of SUCH ques-
tons as to the qualification of voters from the
heat OF election day, and renders possible q
calm decision OF them, apart from party iRhu.