St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1895-06-18
EFFECT ON FOREIGN-BORN VOT.
ERS OF A PROPOSED CONSTI-,
TUTIONAL AMENDMENT.
A CHECK TO IMMIGRATION.
TIME FOR PEOPLE OF MINNESo
ia TO Do SOME THINKING ON
THE SUBJECT.
NEW RULES OF CITIZENSHIP
Can the Right to Vote BE Taken
Away From Those Who Now
Enjoy It3
Among the bills passed by the last

AHlOilS Tie ulliS pdSScu ny luG idSty
legislature there is probably none
which ought to be so carefully con-
sidered by the electors of this state as
H. F. No. 80, sometimes called the
Schurmeier act, which proposes an
amendment to section / of article z,
of the constitution of this state, re-.
lating to the elective franchise.
Section l Of article of the consti-
tuition as originally framed, together
with the amendment adopted Nov. 3,
1868, confers the elective franchise on
every male person at the age of twen-
ty-one years or upwards, belonging
to the following classes, who shall
| have resided in the United States one
year, and in this state for four months
next preceding any election, having
also been for ten days a resident of
any election district:
First-Citizens of the United States.
Second-Persons of foreign birth who
shall have declared their intention of
becoming citizens, conformably to the
laws of the United States upon the
subject of naturalization.
Third-RerSons of mixed white and
customs and habits Of civilization.
Fourth-PerSonS of Indian blood re-
siding in this state who have adopted
the customs, habits and language of
civilization
The amendment proposes to change
section 1 as follows:
Section. What persons are entitled
to vote? Every male person of the age
of tWenty-one years or upwards be-
Inn rt11Or fn nIt hnT IF
classes, who has resided in this state
six months next preceding any cleo
ton, shall be entitled to vote at such
election. in the election district of
which he shall at the time have been
for thirty days resident. First
Citizens of the United States who
have been such period of three
months next preceding any election
The second and third subdivisions of
section ! are the same. as in the pres
ent constitution. E t>
The changes in the constitution touch
ing the elective franchise provided in
this amendment, should it be adopted,
are as follows: The residence in this
state must be for six months next pre-
ceding the election instead of four
months, as it now is. The residence in
the district maust be for thirty days in
stead of ten days, as at present. Only
persons who have been citizens of the
United States for period Of three
months next preceding an election are
qualified electors Except Indians and
persons of mixed white BLOODY.
1t will be seen, therefore, that the
proposed amendment excludes from
participation in the elective franchise
all persons of foreign birth who have
only declared their intention to become
citizens, and this is the important feat
ure of the amendment
The statistics of this state show that
a very large proportion of our popula-
ton and a much larger proportion of
the electors of Minnesota are of foreign
birth. OF these, a very large proper
ton have only taken out their first pa
pers, or in other words, declared their
intention to become citizens.
A person of foreign birth coming to
the United States cannot become natur-
allied so as to be a citizen of the
United States until he has resided
therein at least five years, and under
the naturalization laws Of the United
States he cannot receive his final pa
pers until two years after hav-
ing taken out the first. An immi-
grant from abroad coming to Mime
sofa would not be (under this proposed
amendment qualified to vote until he
had become fully naturalized. He
would, therefore, Immediately upon his
arrival in the United States have to
declare his intention to become a citi-
zen thereof, and his right to vote then
be postponed for five years from date
of such papers, and until he had be-
come fully naturalized according to the
laws of the United States.
The proportion of electors at present
exercising that franchise in this state.
who are not citizens of the United
States, and who cannot become citi-
zens until the necessary five years shall
have elapsed from the date of their
arrival in this country Is very large,
probably one-third, certainly one-fourth
of the entire voting population This
amendment would at once disfranchise
all of them, and the anomalous
spectacle will be presented at the COM
Ing election of a large proportion of the
electors of this state voting upon a
proposition which, if adopted, would
disfranchise them.
This will affect more particularly the
northern and western portion of the
state, all of which has been very re-
Z
recent and present agricultural immi-i
grafton is largely tending. Minnesota
is also busily engaged in inviting that
class of immigrants to settle upon her
unoccupied lands.
1t is worthy of consideration whether 1
the postponement of the right. to vote
as against all future immigrants for ]
period of five years from their arrival
(speaking here, of course, of foreign I
ers only, will materially aid the trend
of that immigration, which has here
tofore benefited the state so much, and
from which, in the future, a. larger.
benefit Isl expected. A
A comparison of the constitution of
the other Western and Northwestern
states upon this subject would prob
ably at once be made by intending inn-sl
migrants; and If those of the other
states were found more favorable, the
adoption of this amendment might
materially affect, or, rather, defect,
the tide of immigration from this
state. OF course, the foreigner who
comes here after the manner of the
Chinese, merely to remain for few
years and then return to his country.
would not be in any wise affected by
this provision; but Minnesota has not
been to any extent afflicted by this
class Of Immigrants. This state being
largely agricultural, and one of the;
few remaining states in which agri-
cultural lands can be obtained cheap
~, its particular attractions are adj
dressed to the most desirable class,
Of immigrants; that is, the agri-
cultors. who take up the land,
cultivate it and live on it with their |
families. And to the desirable inni-
grant that comes to this state inten6-