The Durham daily globe. (Durham, N.C.) 1889-1894, 1892-02-27

ANNANN ~
what we do-and how many asked GOD
to forgive US for what we do not know
And yet:
Take that old hymu-a hymn which
has been heard in every school house and
every church in the land-it still thrills
and it still entreats.
Jesus lover of my SOUL and the vaga.
bond hears ii echoed to him across the
street LET me to thy bosom fly" and
the beggar knows what he once heard
"While the waters nearer roll" and the
girl whe started her life of shame knows
full we'll the meaning of it all-and from
out the house of GOD come these sounds
and how much better if we all could
be at one place or the other and hear
what the Masters servant teaches.
NATCRALIZATION LAW CHANGES.
The bill to amend the naturalization
laws having been reported favOrably from
the house committee on the judiciary will
probably be acted upon at the present
session. The salient features of the meas
ure are provisions doing away with the
declaration of intention at present re-
quired, and making the determination OF
the question as to whether or not a man
should be naturalized a judicial question
to be decided by United States courts
after legal proceedings, the government
to be represented through its district at
torneys. Naturalization questions are
taken entirely out of politics. 4 form is
set out in accordance with which appli-
cations to be naturalized must be made.
These petitions must declare hat the APP
plicant has been five years a resident OF
the United States and possesses certain
other qualifications, and the statements
must be proved in court The bill names
certain classes of persons who shall not
be naturalized, the prescribed list en-
bracing persons who anne to the United
States in violation of our immigration
laws, anarchists, polygamists and persons
convicted of ~felonies.
The bill is based on the idea that Ameri
can citizenship is worth an effort to OBJ
tain, and not something to be accorded
carelessly to anybody who may apply for
it. The latter view of it is the one that
has too commonly prevailed, as the in
~vestigations of the house judiciary COM
mittee Of the last congress showed. 1t
was found that many of the courts were
guilty of the loosest possible practice in
granting naturalization, and it is I'M
questionable that thousands of men have
been made citizens who had not complied
with the requirements of the law. In
Massachusetts and New York the care
lessness of the judges in this matter was
found to have been general and long
continued, and had the investigation been
more widely extended it is not to be
doubted that a similar state of affairs
would have been found elsewhere. This
to be accounted a most valuable boon,
could not fail to have a bad effect upon
those who received it. Men who were
made citizens with a full knowledge that
they had not complied with the laws
would naturally disparage the value of
the possession as well as lose respect for
law.
The bill in question provides an ade-
quate remedy for these conditions. 1t
puts upon the applicant the burden of
proof of worthiness and subjects him to
a formal judicial inquiry. The Judge of
a court to which application was made
for naturalization could not devolve the
duty of ascertaining whethcrth the applicant
was fitted for citizenship to a clerk or
other subordinate, as is very generally
done now. Our naturalization laws have
stood with little change since the foun-
dation Of the government. There is the
high authority of the supreme court that
they could be improved The impOrtanc &c
of surrounding the privileges of Ameri-
can citizenship with greater safeguards
will be conceded by everybody.