Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1895-07-26
WOMEN CITIZtNS

a query with regard to the citizen
ship Of women has been submllisd {.
the NEWS "a follow:
Docs a woman, born in foreign land
become q ciiiznn Of tho United Staioz ~
reason of hOr marriage 10 ciiizun9
Tho question h. one that has caused
considerable discus-ion Of late, owing
to the anticipated casting Of ballots by
the women. Il was thought by some
that 20 fsr 40 her qualifications az n
voter were concerned, tho vito Of n
citizen did not stand In the Samo posi-
lion a. one who was native born OF
natupliEsI, but that her status
would be- con,iIcred apart from hor
martial relations. In this event, 1t was
argued that women Of alien birth,
whether or not they were wives Of
oltizsns. would havo to DO nAtufallzed
IN order TO exercise tbs elective ran.
ohise. Those who took this p0sili1u
argued that tho former use Of tue bal
lot In this T,rritoty, by women not
natutalizsI but yet wives Oi citizens,
wEs based on the express provisions Of
tho Territorial statute, not on the
national law, and therefore was not
applicable to the present situation.
An examination into the law anu
court rulings on the case, however,
confirms tho Wow that tho iu-
quiry submitted should DO m.
swered In the Affirmative. Toe
provision OF the old Territorial
law ON the sui Ject was itself basel On
the rulo lhlI down In the national
enactment anu court decisions there
under, and the same general practice
with which the people Of Utah we're
familiar prior to the acknowledgements
Of the women by tue T. Imuuds. Tucker
law Of 1857 may be expec oil to pre-.
vail under the equal suffrage clause VI
the Consultation of Utah.
In addition to careful investigation,
tue question was submitted to leajirg
attorneys independent OF political
affiliations, the reply In each case
being tho same after the matter was
looked az. II was cited that In the case
Of Kolly VI owen ct nj, reported iu
Volume 7, walacs'a Reports Of cutss
HcIudgrd IN thg Supreme Court Of IN,
United statsS, the question OF woman
citizenship was directly passed upon.
Jualior Field delivered the opinion oil
the court, IN which /, is said;
Tho Gas, turns upon tho couslruu. ion
given to tho second section of tho act of
Congress OF February 10, lsll, which doe
clarcs 'lhat any woman, who might law
fully lsluUutali2ed under thp existing
laws, married, or who shall ND matflni
tu citizen OF the United States, small
be deemed and tukor 10 ho u citizen
A. We cnusiTuU This oct, it Cnuiur. thg
privileges Of citizenship upon women
married IN Ci,ifUuH OF tho United States.
II they are OF the class OF persons Tor
whose naturalization the previous nets of
tongfosn provide, The terms,
"whomight lawfully honatuuligod uuIci
existing laws" only iumi. tho application
VI the law to tree white women, Tho pre-.
NiOus natural iytiiun act, existing 40 tho
time, only required that the person up.
plying Tor tho btuuutH should Boz ga frpn
who person. aud NO. an alien uuomy.
II follows from those views, that
the widow and tho two slsturt were ellie /
zuns ui tho United States upon tho do
cease OF the inluHaTH husband. Tho
widow aud Margaret knhop became such
on tho naturalization ui thuir respective
husbands, ana Ellen owen became such
ou her marriage.
rhis WAS IN 1870. aud the uls ihcro
laid down nae puvu uu.'uTmly aluored
10 by the C0ulta In recent csses 10 |
has been held ,nst II Eu America !
citizen goes TO a iOrplgn land ami mar |
rles ani reRrs family, ,ncro being |
no remuneration OF Ci,,2snship, the |
vile and children are CT. Hoas Of thu |
Uuited States, although they may |
never have been IN this country. Our |
OF TIE lGtot. decisions upon this ques.
ton Is IN thu noted Blythe case, passeI
upon IN California la 1892. GA tDs
same subIecL and passing directly
upon tho qualifications OF v0lors, thv
supreme court OF Illinois, In the ca.c
VI kTeliz vs. Bohrousmeyer, reported
ia the l25tn llls., says thai Whenever
a woman, alien born, VIM might be
nHIutnlzri, II Ia state o. marriage
to cri2sn, watcher us citizenship
excited nj the passage Of tho oct "
& 'uSre5s Of February 10, 1866, or before
VI alter the marriage, che becomes by
that act a cIu2 Alb ami THIS cit.
zvuship Is not lost by tue subsequent
cath Of her husband and her af.rr.
war = marrying an alien,
ny the ruliugs referred to, the matter
appears to be settled beyond oil con.
.roversy The United Stats Supreme
Court Il quite clear upon tho question
n the case o' Kelly VS. Owens, above
referred C, laying down the rule tina,
he net Of Congress Of February 10,
$3.50, which declares "thAt any woman
who might lawfully DO naturally ID
ander the existing laws. married. or