San Antonio daily light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1886-1907, 1894-12-18
SHORT STOPS.
What the People are Saying.

SHORT STOPS.
What the People are Saying.
The express" calls attention to
naturalization frauds and quotes
from the "El Paso Herald"
but fails to touch the most vital
points of the controversy; towit:
The eligibility Of Mexican imm-
igrants OF Indian extraction, to be
naturalized under our laws.
The FL PasO Herald has failed
to catch on to the true solution of
the voting evil that affects our
Mexican border, and lays the
whole blame, as does the Express
to our loose provisions permitting
foreigners to vote upon taking out
intention papers.
The FL Paso Herald, speaking OF
the methods in vogue at that point
says: "Their intention is not to
become a citizen, but to make
themselves eligible to vote that
they may barter their suffrage for
a dollar or two to some briber who
ought to be in the penitontiary."
The process OF manufacturing
these voters in FL Paso, according
to the Herald: "The law allows a
fee of 50 to the clerk before whom
the declaration of intention is filed,
but along the Rio Grande border
the clerk is expected to donate
these fees to the party to which he
owes his election" This describes
the process of manufacturing
voters right here in our city.
But the real question at issue is
of far more important character,
is the Mexican immigrant Of Indian
extraction eligible to citizenship.
1t is generally understood that
our old resident Mexican popula-
tion are citizens, and their descend
ants, under the provisions Of the
treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo, but
immigrants romMeXico must come
under our naturalization laws, just
as other foreigners, and our natur-
aliZation laws make no provision
for the Indian either from Canada
or Mexico.
Naturalization of foreigners is
confined to the Caucasian andNegro
races. Mexicans Of Caucasian or
Negro extraction are eligible but
the aborigine is not, and it has so
been decided in the United States
courts in several cases.
All this thing has grown up
since reconstruction,-the large
Mexican population on our border,
the influx of thousands of home
less people from the border Next
can states attracted by better
wages on the American side, has
been taken advantage Of by local
election bosses to control our cleo
tions by voting these people with
or without the semblance of citi-
zenship.
The Mexican tramp who walks
across the bridge at Eagle Pass
and Laredo with his blanket
over his shoulder, by follow
ing the railroad track, can with
in few days reach some opu-
lent community; all he seeks
is employment. He has not the
remotest intention OF becoming an
American citizen, and would not
give fifty cents for an "intentiOn
paper" but he is initiated into the
great American privilege of voting
by some local boss, and who can
blame him if he sells his vote.
Neither our immigration laws
or citizen laws are enforced upon
our border. 1t is possible to flood
our state with thousands of the
poorest, most ignorant class Of
Mexicans, displacing other labor
and used to decide our local state
and national elections.
Just prior to our late election,
there appeared in the Express
an interview from gentleman
who gave his experience as an
importer Of Mexican laborers in
tended for cotton pickers; his
shipment consisted Of 800, and he
said he had as much fun as he
even had with a shipment Of mules
or horses. This 500 are no doubt
already INITIATED into the mys-
teries OF our political system.