Wood River times. [volume] (Hailey, Idaho) 1882-1915, 1892-06-13
CITIZEN MAKING TOO EASY.
Congress Mem0rialized to Make IL More
Difficult.

Difficult.
Bradstreet's.l
Complaints of loose practices in
connection with the existing system
Of naturalization are not at sll new,
but the agitation Of the subject of
naturalization reform has caused q
degree Of attention to be paid to the m
of late such as they have not com
man led heretofore. The latest pre-
test comes from number Of promin-
ent citizens of New York, who have
addressed q memorial to Congress
asking that committee be appointed
to inquire into the system Of natural.
izstion at that city to the end that
some remedial legislation may be de-
vised and enacted with reference
thereto. The memorial sets forth
that the immigration records show
that in 1891 100000 people came to
this country from Austria, Russia and
Italy; that but q small proportion OF
this class of people can either read,
write or speak the English Ian guage,
and are wholly ignorant of our laws
and the principles Of our government,
and that the great ma ority Of them
remain in our large cities, forming
colonies where they live by themselves,
speak their own language, and follow
their own customs apart from the life
aud influences of the American COM
munity, and that there is reason to be.
lieve that the naturalization of large
numbers OF immigrants in New York
city have been accompanied by great
irregularities and extensive frauds.
In support of these allegations some
statistics are given from newspapers
reciti"g that q large number of
naturalization proceedings are pushed
through very short space of time, in
some cases ut the rate Of one OF two q
minute.
In remarking on the allegations
made the memorial says that it is OBJ
vious that the system of naturalization
which can produce its results with
such startling rapidly must be defect
i've. either in its provisions for ascer.
tanning the facts upon which the right
70 citizenship depends or in the exe-
oution Of those provisions, and that
there is reason to believe that the re-
suits were, in fact, made possible by
Wholesale perjury, false pefsonation
and official indifference, if not official
malfeasance, and that unless some
remedial measures are adopted to
check these evil practices we may ap>
prehend not merely the addition of q
most undesirable element to our COM
munity through loose immigration
laws, but the degradation Of American
citizenship through processes which
treat citizenship as Of no value, as
we'll as the surrender of a material
part OF our power Of self government
to men who are really aliens, ignorant,
venal and wholly unfit either to gov
ern themselves or govern others.
In a general way the allegations
referred to in the memorial may be
said to be of long standing, though
the growth OF the volume OF immigrs-
ton and certain changes in its char
acter have given them an import
which they did not have before. 1t
will be remembered that couple OF
months ago a report of the Judiciary
Committee Of the House of Repre-
ssntatives was presented to that body,
in which the committee, after promis-
ing that the requirements of the ex-
isting naturalization laws are entirely
too liber. and ine fficient, set forth as
general conclusions that the natural
ization Of aliens recently arriyed from
abroad, and knowing nothing of our
institutions and government, just be.
fore election, with the view Of making
voters, has been resor,ed to in several
localities, and that in states where
only the declaration of intention t.
become citizen is All essential qualifi
cation of the alien to make him .
voter the greatest frauds and most un
hlushing violations OF the spirit Of IT,,
law have been perpet q d.
The committee, as will be re-
mr. mhered, after n review of tho fact
disclosed by its investigate ms, con
cluded that the making of citizens
which is largely left by the courts Il
ministerial officers, should be q gray,
judicial proceeding. The report o
this committee would seem to furnlsl
a sufficient basis for legislation by tn
present Congress. and such Legislation
cannot be had if Congress must wal
for, the report of a committee ap
pointed in compliance with the me
mortal just sent to Congress. Tn
House judiciary Con- mi,tee hi, tn
core OF the question with its suggest
ion that the making of citizens shoul
ho in roaIity ;nd;o;.l D.ooao1;cc