The Sauk Centre herald. (Sauk Centre, Stearns County, Minn.) 1886-current, 1891-06-25
CHEAP CITIZENSHIP.

That which costs little is apt to lie
priced accordingly; and the recipient OF
favor is not apt to place higher esti-
mate upon it than he who dispenses it.
Such being the case, how can we reason
ably expect our adopted citizens to be
very deeply impressed with the dignity
of American citizenship? The methods
by which the honor is conferred are so
loose and informal as to be little better
than farce. About election time the
citizenship mill is set in motion, and IN
terested office-seekers canvass their re-
spectiye territorial districts in search OF
unnaturalized residents eligible under
the statutes to conversion into ballot
box stufers-for person is little better
than a stuffer who has no conception OF
the Importance of casting ballot. AS
well vote a lay figure from the nearest
clothing shop as hundreds and thous-
ands who cast their initial ballot by viz
tue of the so-called declaratory papers
taken out after residence of bare
twelve months upon American soil. The
aspiring candidate, or his political
strikers discovers the willing alien and
furnishes him with card to some con-
venient clerk of the court, by previous
arrangement with the clerk, upon presen-
tation OF which the applicant is "sworn
in" terms and language being rapidly
mumbled oyer which might as well be
Choctaw or Greek so far as the afhant is
concerned-and, behold; new bulwark
ofrepublican institutions is erected. When
the demand is active, from five to fifty
are Sworn" in bunch and it is not un-
common nor unheard of for the balance
of power in a municipality or county to
be thus created from material wholly I'M
fit and unworthy by reason OF ignor-
ance, venality and even vice. This is
serious menace to the perpetuity OF our
democratic institutions, and the sooner
the people at large awake to an appre-
citation of the danger, the better. Some
qualifications other than twelve months
residence should be demanded-must be.
Born and educaLed-if educated at all
in a political and social atmosphere,
dissimilar and antagonistic to our own,
unable to speak or read the language OF
the country, much less capable of appre-
ciating the spirit or tenor OF. our institu-
tions, they leap into the political arena
fully equipped with every weapon where
with to fight the natiye-born citizen
upon an equal footing. Remedial changes
in the laws are absolutely essential to
national perpetuity. Among the first
must be the clothing of citizenship with
more dignity, and compelling a much
longer probationary period-fve years
is little enough, and even that should be
dependent upon ability to pass reason
able examinations in fundamental prin-
ciples. Let the applicant then appear
before court of the United States which
shall impress him with something of the
dignity and responsibility of citizenship.
Compel him to make some sacrifice COM
mensurate with the advantages and
benefits bestowed-not necessarily in
money-fee, but in convenience OF some
sort, and then let him be made to ap-
preciate in some degree the enurmity of
the crime of venality in political action.
1t is to be expected that radical
changes like those suggested will be
resisted by demogogues and corrupt
politicians. but the 1easonablencss and
wisdom of elevating the standard OF
citizenship is too apparent to be long
neglected or defeated.