Herald and tribune. [volume] (Jonesborough, Tenn.) 1869-current, 1892-06-23
COLUMN.
EDITED BY JoNEsBoRo w. c. T. U
MRS. KATE B. SIMPSON, Superintendent
of Press Work.

The following facts taken from our
reading and read June 10th, in our
Union will be new to many:
THE GATEKEEPERS OF THE NATION.
We hear a great deal of late about
the immigration question and its dan
gers to our Government. Our immi-
grafton is increasing almost yearly
certainly with each decade.
Within the last decade (1SS0-90) five
million two hundred and fifty thousand
people have come to us, a large proper
ton of whom are foreign-speaking,
and of the lower classes of Europe. A
large number of the persons engaged
in the sale or manufacture of liquor are
themselves foreigners, and it is to their
intesest to educate those more newly
arrived to believe that the most import
ant measures in our politics are those
connected with personal liberty, espec-
tally as regards the drink habit. They
instill into them q hatred of everything
connected with temperance, the obser-
vance of the Sabbath, or anything that
would lessen or destroy the influence or
profits of liquor. The saloons seem to
have taken possession of our ports of
entry, and are clustered about the depots
all the way along our great routes, and
their habitues are the only teachers
our foreigners have in regard to politi-
cal issues and the duties of citizenship.
Several of our States give aliens the
privilege of citizenship before they are
naturalized. Eleven States gives for
eigners the right of the ballot after
twelve months residence, and six per-
NIT them to vote in six months after
they arrive, by simply filing their in
tention to become citizens at some
future time.
The legislatures of the various States
have the power to fix the qualifications
of voters. Men can vote within one
year after coming into the States of
Alabama, Arkansas, Indiana, Louis
lana, Massachusetts, Missouri, North
Dakota, Oregon, Texas, West Virginia
and Wisconsin. Six other States, as
was said, give aliens the power to vote
after a six months residence. These
States are Kansas, Nebraska, South
Dakota, Michigan, Colorado and Wy
oming. Minnesota permits them to
vote in four months from the time they
arrive, if Immediately u~pon>arrival they
declare their intention to become citi-
zens. New Hampshire seems to put
scarcely any restriction upon the voting
power of males, its law saying simply,
Inhabitants, native or naturalized.'
New York, also, is exceedingly lenient
to the genus homo of the male sex,
Citizen who shall have been a citizen
ten days, being the requirement. That
this does not mean citizen of the United
States, we have abundant testimony in
the actthat aliens do vote there within
ten days after landing, whether illegally
or not it is difficult to say.
What is the object of legislative
bodies bestowing the privileges of Cit
zenship on foreigners so ignorant of all
our ideas of government, in so short a
time after their coming here?
There can be but one object in so do.
ing. 1t has been through the influence
of politicians who desire to secure their
votes for certain measures. AS the Ii.
quOr interest is today the strongest
factor in our Government, we can read.
lily see what an immense power this
gives it in the elections. By giving
these poor, ignorant people the right
of the ballot within a few months after
their arrival, the saloon holds them in
its grasp.
Who else has %befriended or taught
them anything? What a comment on
the wisdom of a government that will
give such a power as is the ballot into
the hands of ignorant people, and then
teach them nothing of its right usel
And each year adds to the number of
these people, until we are almost subject
to the peasantry of Europe.
There is scarcely a northern city that
has not a population of more than sixty
five per cent. foreigners, and children
of the first generation. 1t is said that
that there are nearly two millions of
voters in our land who can not read,
write nor speak the languages in which
their ballots were written.
Where is to end? What is the remedy
for this great evil?
Public sentiment must be aroused.
These questions ought to be discussed
and light thrown upon them; certainly
the vast body of the people do not
realize the gravity of the situation. Not
nan in a hundred knows that the
majority of the States giveI aliens the
power and privileges of citizenship be-
fore they are citizens of the United
States.
Our legislative bodi IS should be peti-
toned to change these laws and bring
them into harmony with the laws of
the general Government. No person
who has not been naturalized should
have the power of the ballot. This is,
indeed, as Miss Willard has said, "the
foreign missionary work come to Amer
ica." feel that we should all aid in
this noble and important effort. The