The morning call., 1892-03-31
NEW NATURALIZA ALTON LAW.

After several years Of wrestling with i'm
practicable laws Congress has on its caien-
dar a bill introduced by Oates of Alabama
and unanimously approved by the judiciary
Committee for the cure OF some of the more
conspicuous evils of the present nauraliza-
ton law. Like tho Ford bill OF the Fiftieth
Congress the Oates bill denies naturaliza-
ton 10 convicted felons. or persons who
have been found guilty of misdemeanors in
volying moral turpitude, or anarchists or
polygamists. This clause of the bill viii
pro baby prove imperative in consequence
of the impossbility OF proving the facts.
How is the court which is asked to grant a
certificate of naturalization to know
whether foreigner has been convict, or
is polygamist OF an anarchist unless he
chooses to admit the fact? The only thing
that could be gained would b. the power to
cancel certificate Of naturalization obtained
under false pretenses by concealment Of
the facts.
a more useful provision of the bill Is one
which denies naturalization to foreigner
who cannot read the constitution of the
United States. This would serve to exclude
most undesirable element among foreign
ers. 1t is not absolutely true that inability
to read and write Is disqualification for
participation in self government. Some
very competent public men in the middle
ages could neither read nor write; Charlie
magne only learned to read In middle
age an never was. able to write. But as a
rule at the present day people who do not
possess the three Rs are incapable of FORM
ing correct opinions On public affairs and
are apt to be disrespectful of law. The
United States will lose nothing and may
hu &
the voting list. Our growth has reached a
point where the quality of our new citizens
is Of as much Importance as their quantity.
Another good provision relates to the
machinery of naturalization. Under the
present law foreigner goes before JUS
tice with another foreigner, who swears that
the former has lived five years In the
country and is known to him to be OF good
moral character. AS a matter of fact the
applicant may only have been d year in the
United States, and may be a person of
decidedly immoral character. His witness
may know nothing about him. having been
merely employed by political party to
swear him through. But the Justice seldom
hesitatrs; he grants the certificate without
discussion. Under the Oates bill the power
Of granting certificates of naturalization is
confided only to United States Judges and
TO Judges of State courts OF record. They
can only act on the motion of the respective
District Attorneys of their courts, to whom
all applicants for naturalization must adj
dress themselves by petition. The law
assumes that the respective District At
torneys will look into the cases and satisfy
themselves. before applying to the courts,
that the applicants are fit persons to be
citizens of the United States. This duty
will probably be evaded Ia many cases. but
if It is faithfully performed in few it will
shut the door in the face of some undesira-
BILE applicants for membership in the nation.
There never was any country In the world
In which the high privilege OF citizenship
was SO recklessly abused as it has been in
TINS country. Until comparatively recent
times mere residence was denied to aliens
In many oil the most intelligent countries in
Europe. and even now IN Germany. France
and England no alien can obtain the
citzen's franchise without going through