The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1894-02-27
AMERICAN CITIZENSHIP.

United States Senator White. OF Louisi-
ana, who has just been confirmed as asso-
eiate justice Of the supreme court, is an
ardent Roman Catholic. President Cleve-
land. who nominated him, is the son Of .
Presbyterian minister. Chief Justice
fancy. of the United States supreme
court, was nominated for the Office by
President Andrew Jackson. who came of
Seotch-lrisn Presby tsrian stock and lived
and died in that faith. Among intelligent
men the religious faith of Taney nor White
could never be urged under our constitu-
ton as any ground of objection. Among
the signers of the declaration Of independ-
ence dozen were Of Irish blood, and at
least half Of these, like Charles Carroll, of
Carrollton. Md. were Roman Catholics.
George Taylor. Charles Thompson,
Matthew Thornton and James Smith,
signers OF the declaration Of independence,
were all natives Of Ireland. John Ham
cock, of Massachusetts,, and John Rut-
ledge, Of South Carolina were of Irish
stock.
Rev. DIR. GLADDEN.. Q Protestant clergy
man of Columbus, o., in Q recent sermon
said:
Satan has induced many persons call
ing themselves Christians to accept his
weapons and tactics in a fight which they
think necessary to uphold the Protestant
church. To help bring the kingdom of
peace they are spreading lies, deceit and
discord. They are worshiping the devil.
IL the devil had any humor in him he
must feel like retiring to . quiet corner
templates this delusion successfully prac-
ticed upon people calling themselves
Christians"
Theodore Roosevelt, an eminent Repub-
lican, member of the United States civil
service commission. writes the following
letter concerning American citizenship to
the Americdn Citisen. of st. Paul, Mimi:
81 have been much interested in two or
three of your editorials that have been sent
TO me. notably in that wherein you oppose
the division of the school fund 1t gives
me pleasure TO write word in hearty COM
mendation of the spirit of true American
ism. True Americanism ~ as absolutely
alien to know nothingism on the one hand
as IL Is to every form of foreignism on the
other.
Every foreigner who comes to this
country Is in honor bound TO become an
American citizen. pure and simple with
out any qualification. lie has no business
TO bring into our American political life
the questions of European politics, and
especially the religious and race rivalries
of Europe. lie is bound not to act as an
lrishman or German. Englishman or Scan
dinayian, but purely as an American. Ii
Is an outrage that any one OF our political
conventions should insert into the party
platform planks to catch any division OF
the foreign vote. because IL is an outrage
that there should be any division OF our
voters who cast their votes as foreigners.
But, II the foreign born citizen, who
comes over here honestly aud in good
faith, fills the duties of American citizen
ship and acts as an American, pure and
simple, 1t il most emphatically an outrage
90 discriminate against him in any way
because of his birthplace or his creed. /
have had the honor of knowing q number
OF gentlemen who have been To congress-
from the Northwest during the past few
years, and among the very stoutest Amer.
leans of them all could name certain con.
grsssmen who happened 10 be born in
Germany, in Sweden, or in Norway In
the same way. during my term of service
in the New York legislature. when came
to select the most important committees
with which nave had TO work and when
| bad TO choose my four colleagues, purely
from considerations affecting the public
service, ! found that no less than three Of
them were Irish by birth or descent"