The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1894-01-06
ARE THEY CITIZENS :?
Foreign Born Voters Who Can
not Comply With Law.
THEIR FATHERS. PAPERS LOST.
Matt Brsnnagsn Institutes HAS MAN.
A.mus snit-opinios eS corporstsea
Counsel ON EegfstrstisB Law.

much trouble I'm other incorporated cities
of the state q. IL Ia here. and IL 10 probable
thu. suits 70 test It's validity viii be instl-
ts.tsA at Tacoma and elsewhere Matt
Rraunsgan brought y tss. case in the
superior court Of King county yesterday,
~ predicted by the PosT-IsTrr1tsKScrg IN
the morning and an alternative writ OF
uandamns issued 20 Clerk stonensn 20
show cause why he should not register Mr..
Brannegan as voter.
Brannagan in his petition alleges that he
was born in Ireland in the year fste and
removed 10 the United States in isss2 and
has been q resident OF the state OF Wash
ington Stree iss3. He sets forth that in
June. 1873. sfiant having arrived In this
country under the age Of Is years. upon
application to the superior cour.
~ Gan Francisco, wac given nat
uraG,xation papers and became cit
izen OF the United States. Since iss3 he
has voted At all the elections held in the
state OF Washington and IN 1889 his
naturalization papers we're sent to the
land Office at Washington City to perfect
a title TO homestead and have never
since been returned. When he applied TO
register City Clerk stoneman refused 20
register him unless he exhibited his
naturalization papers or . certified copy
thereof
Registration under the new Law Is slow
and tedious work and the united labors Of
City Clerk SLOVENIAN and his four depu-
ties fail TO make very much Of q pereepti-
bile impression on the crowd of men stand
ing in and about the city clerks Office
waiting their turn 10 60 through the
grinding process according TO the new
formula prescribed by the state legislature
Of 1893 About 400 registrations were
made yesterday making total. in round
numbers, of 100 listed since the "a of
January. In order TO facilitate matters
and TO give those unable to get away from
their daily work . chance TO register the
city clerks Office will be kept open this
evening from 9 80 to 9 O'Clock. Next week,
however. the regular hours every day will
be between q a. m. and p. m.
Matters are progressing much more
satisfactorily than / had anticipated"
said CITY Clerk Stoneman TO PosT-IS-
rELrraEscTR reporter last evening nj the
close of the afternoons run. my deputies
have got their hand into it. so to sneak.
and have so well systematixed the work
that their progress is seldom checked TO
any apprecisble extent.
mo, have had no trouble of any
kind so far. As rule the daily crowd
has been patient and good-natured; qaes-
tons have been put and answered rapidly,
and as almost every body understood the
requirements before offering 10 register
there vas really but little opportunity for
discussion or dissension.
Yes, the new law is working mtfch
hardship TO many good citizens. but rs the
majority understand II they have not even
offered 70 come here and register, so that
the percentage of those whom We have
besn Obliged 10 reject is very small, in
deed, IL will not exceed per cent. and
these are mostly men who will not accept
the Law as il stands as applying to their
individual case and come here If for moth
ing efse than the pleasure they derive in
making their kick in public.
st Is growing daily more apparent that
the Law il working hardship on former
weil-known citizens and voters. Instances
come ap every day OF such cases. They
aFe all foreign born, but citizens, made 80
by the naturalization of their fathers
whose papers. or copies of them. IL is next
- impossible 20 secure. One case in point
came up last evening. A weIi-known man
in Seattle Of foreign birth, forty-two years
ia the tnited States. a veteran of the civil
var, and known to be qualified voter.
had 10 he rejected according to the new
law because he could not produce his
fathers naturalization papers. That father
was killed In the Chicago tire, which de-
stroyed every record of that city, so that
there is no yessige Of record of his father
having even existed. We are compelled
20 enforce the presentation of papers from
either the man himself or from has father.
Another peculiar position in which /
find myself is in the case Of man who
duly qualities for registration, but who il
unable 20 write. In his case. If he Is 4
stranger to me. he must bring some one 20
me whom | know TO &c responsible and
who WILL voueh for him as being the man
represented.
Another puzEling question WAS that of
man offering To register who was born in
Canada. bat OF American born Parents
had fo ask the advise Of CORPORATION
Counsel nonworih. who decided THAI as
his parents were Americans by birth the
son VAS thereby natnEaliEed, though born
on foreign soil. providing. of course. that
he returned 10 America while s,flI a
minor"
The question concerning children born
in foreign country whose fathers we're
cts'sens Of the United States seems To he
fully covered by section taaJ Of the lie.
Y'sed Statutes. which reads;
IAN children heretofore or hevrset.,
horn oHt OF tha limits aud Jurisdiction al
the United States whose father. vay,. ar
maY be at tie time az their birth eltfr.us
thereof are declared 10 be citizens ~ tba
United states; bat the rights os citizen.
ship shall not descend TO children wbnss
tsihefs never resided in the United States -
A number Of Instances Of the har,fxhins
~ofked by ths law have come - the A..
tention OF the Fosr-fNrxfltGrNcrr. show.
ing that those ioreiEn-horn citizens who
have lived in America from childhood ana
are therefore most thoroughly American
ized are the ones most likely 10 suiFsy hs
u. In one case man came 60 this efaf,n.
trg from England with his ino;he. sf,,..
three years ago. when years old. an a..
only evidence he ha, ut ht> citlsrnsh{,, 81.
the fact that three years before he ear,,
over as child with his mother hi. fathnr
bad rre-eeeptea ls9t sores IN Name SENATE
Illinois. and thus must have been = e{ts~..r.
rs father also Seyved in she army ft.rtrs q.
the civil war and he has she d4..hs~-s
papers 90 prove shis. hut ais father hsa p,
turned 10 England ard ths natlra.tsatss.
paper. cannot b. found This tnsa
served Ia taa army as k-sat
sn Missouri, Arkansas and kansAs
throughout the VAR and received sovsrz!
wounds which still give him greas ran.
hnt be has no natural .satlon papers. and
under the rev IAN Ia. no vote. A II :
not the 1rR4tfae IN wsxr .4fxsha~~. s~..--.