New-York tribune., 1891-05-21
REFORM IN THE NATURALIZATION LAWS.

REFORM IN THE NATURALIZAIION LA"o'
The structures on unlawful naturalization, IN
the report of the Committee on POLITICAL ne
farm of the Union League Club, will strike most
readers as singuarly timely and reasonable IL Is
not often that the case Of popular evil is so
fearlessiy stated, when the loyalty and zeal OF the
most respected part of the community are fouhu
70 be concerned. That our naturalization laws
have been shamefullf abused in many parts OF
the country has long been notorious. fuoilc
criticism has, however, hitherto confined ltSeil
to vehement denunciatiOn OF Ignorant aliens anu
the politica, agents whose mission is to INSTRUCT
them in crime The committee has gone step
further. Ii points out that the ultimate Gull
pits are the reckless judges without whose CO.
operation the fraud would be impossible, aoo
who have "done more than any other body OF
citizens to degrade and bring into contempt tha1
which should have been sacred in their eyes"
These are strong words That they are
merited there is unfortunately no room for
doubt. The judiciary as a whole may have
exercised care in enforcing the law which denies
naturalization to persons mentally or morally
unfit. But the granting power has been shared
by so many that one careless or unscrupulous
magistrate could open the door for general
yitiatjon of the electorate. The plea that the
nress of appications excuses or condones the
fault is no more worthy of consideration than
il would be in the case of spshod trials or
decisions. The blame is not with the law, but
with its execution not with the foreigners VINO
perpetrate the cheat, but with our own people.
Just as the right to vote is generally under-
valued, 80 is the privilege that conferS 1t. since
attention has been directed to the part played
in our domestic troubles by an undesirable Tor
eign element, the danger of indScnminate natu-
ralization has been acknowledged But public
action is necessary to prevent repetition OF
scenes such as occur here before every cleo
ton, when political bureaus gather in their
creatures, trot them off in patches to the mil,
do the necessary false swearing, pay the fees
and trot them out again. with brand-new Ger
titicates in their hands, to attest at the polls
the carelessness Of judges and the wickedneSS
of the machine.
1t is to foster such opposing action that the
committee has prepared petition to Congress
asking that body to restrict the power of natu-
ralization to the Federal courts, to require
longer residence from applicants and familiarity
with the English language, and to authorize CIT
liens to contest improper applications and fraud
ulent certificates, and courts TO declare them
void We notice that the committee believes
that the remedy for the hurtful extension OF the
franchise in many of the States to aliens VINO
have only " declared their intentions" must be
left to the wisdom and good faith OF the States
themselves This anomaly is proof OF what we
have insisted on. 1t i'll becomes community
to denounoe the outrages Of vicious foreigners
when it has stimulated them by the promiscu-
GUS distribution of guarantee of equality de-
MED to large body of natives. In States like
Florida where newly landed Cubans are ad-
mitted to the suffrage that the same privilege
may be used to attract British settlers, the alb
surdity is impressive 1t should nowhere be
left to disaster to correct.