The morning call., 1892-11-21
THE ABUSE OF NATURALIZATION

The business of converting a foreigner
into a citizen is usually farce. Though
the law requires the judge to satisfy him.
self that the applicant is OF good moral
character and fitted to become member of
the nation, he rarely does anything OF the
kind, but. bestowing a perfunctory glance
at the papers, signs his name to them with
out any real knowledge of their contents.
or any opinion as TO their truth. Once In
way a judge finds time ard inclination TO
perform his duty more faithfully.
On Friday twenty-four Swedes and Ital-
ians applied to Judge Robinson of Olympia,
Wash, for admission as citizens. 1t ap-
peared that not one of them had read the
constitution or heard Ii read. The man who
had them in charge said that none Of them
could read or write. When asked whether
they were attached to the principles Of the
constitution they nodded their heads. but
as they made the same sign when they were
asked whether they were attached to the
principles of the constitutions Of Germany,
Italy and the late Confederate States, their
nod did not appear to mean much. Under
the circumstances Judge Robinson declined
to naturalize them; in so doing he seems to
have fulfilled his duty and to have set an
example that is worth following.
The practice Of the naturalization courts
during the past fifty years has tended to
bring citizenship into contempt. Men are
admitted into partnership in the nation who
have no idea OF the responsibilities of
citizenship or Of the duties which it involves
Without any knowledge CT the political
system pnder which we live, without any
acquaintance with our institutions, without
tie rudimentary education which would
4t.
lack, they are shoveled ty the thousand
into our national family, in which they con-
stitute an element Of weakness and danger.
Many of them are brought up TO consider
the Government the natural enemy of the
people, and therefore, whenever the authori-
ties try TO maintain order, they take sides
against II, on general principles; the Gov
eminent in the country of their nativity
being the representative Of oppression, in
justice and wrong. For want of education
they fail to realize that the suffrage is high
privilege which the voter should use with
sense OF his responsibility to his fellow
citizens and to his conscience; hence when
elections occur. they swell the purchasable
vote which constitutes the stock In trade
OF political bosses. Then on the one side
they become the instruments of anarchists,
other they become the tools of knasish
politicians who work to defeat the opera
ton OF government by msjorities.
The feeling against immigration is grow
ing so strong that one OF the schemes for It's
Limitation may become a law. In the mean
time, it is observed that. under the guise of
guarding against an importation of cholera
at the opening OF 1.-The winter. the authori-
ties at New York are throwing obstacles In
the way Of the arrival OF steerage passen-
gers. 1t is felt at Washington that a check
to the tide Of pauper immigration would be
beneficial. on Whatever ground 1t was predi-
Gated. II the food Of ignorance, pauper-
ism and potential crime can be stopped by
the adoption Of stringent quarantine
against disease, that plan will be better
than nothing.
But the invasion OF the barbarians would