The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1895-08-12
FIGH7ING ST0RRS' LAW.
Senator Daily Says That the
New Naturalization Statute
Is Unconstitutional.

Franklin Murphy, Chairman of the
State Republican Committee. assisted by
Assemblyman Storrs and other shining
lights in the Republican party, last win
ter caused to be enacted a new law for
the creation of citizens. The ostensible
reason for the change was alleged to
have been a desire on the part of Re-
publicans to prevent fraudulent natural
ization. The actual reason for the pas
sage OF the law was to deprive the Dem
ocratic party. annually of a large vote.
The law as passed prevents n person
from being naturalized by any Court of
this State within thirty days next pre-
ceding any national, State, municipal,
general, special local or charter cleo
tons"
1t is an indisputable fact that in all
great cities more Democratic citizens are
created than there are Republicans, and
because of the organized efforts of the
Democratic party, In the State, more
citizenship papers, heretofore, W been
issued during the now prohibited thirty
days than in all the other months Of
the year. This result was u a natural
one, for the Democratic County Com
mittees had special committees appoint
ed every year, whose duty 1t was to
unit up persons entitled to be made
citizens, and to see that they were made
such. The expenses attached to these
proceedings were borne alike by Repub-
lican and Democratic committees, and
his was a great boon to many honest
fnen who desired to be made citizens,
but who deferred the time from month
to month because of the expense at
tached to the proceeding. In many cases
for a man to lose a days work and pay
the necessary fees, meant deprivation to
his family, and to prevent this the head
of the family would delay the action nee
essary to secure him the rights that he
was entitled to.
WHO SHALL PAY THE FEES?
The law created by the Republican
State Committee stipulates that the fees
attached to the proceeding must be paid
by the applicant for citizenship in per-
son. and that nc political organization
shall be permitted to pay this amount.
This act Is clearly for the sole purpose
Of preventing the Democratic County
Committee in cities, particularly, from
causing to be created new citizens, and
thereby depriving that party of many
votes, and this, too, when the time has
been reached when all representatives of
honest government need the aid of every
person enjoying, the franshises of the
Among the most active in the op-
position to this law has e Senator
Senate and he has been Opposing it ever
since. He is responsible for two cases
being in the curtis to contest the con-
making very close study of al sorts of
legislation which may be applied in the
e~onstructien by the courts OF the act IN
that he did not believe the act to be con-
stitutionai and he was under the i'm
P meft, Gha ahal s1. Of Ike b bllan L; as s3ste
Committee. and other equally we'll in
formed authorities on Constitptional law
about Ms9s z The ehs ae 5am me o gPensaor s Maiie taking
eLEARLY uNcSoNsTITSUSTIioNAL.
In cases of persons coming to this
years of age, the act requires that the
afiant h declare his belief with the
grounds therefor, that the two years
petition it has been bona fde the intention
i s;eq;o Of the hfts United tse States. This is a con
which particularly sets forth that the Pc
ROD shall be three years next preceding
Ihest time na he desires ito to receive his cit,
able lawyers this alone is sufficient to
show that the act is unconstitutional
w phgre w are a number mi ,a Of Other reasons es;ns
brought, but of them the Senator did
not care to talk at present, for he
thought it would be depriving himself Of
Under the act as it now stands the fees
for naturalization are SIPS, and that a
a citizen must be posted by the city,
town or village clerk in conspicuous
places. Before now but one witness was
necessary, but now two witnesses are re-
CURED when the papers are >granted.
Fourteen days must elapse after the
final application is made before the pa
gramme to be followed in Issuing the
final papers, and these certificates may
be issued by the courts only on stated
the courts. The County Clerk is requir-
ed to make a detailed return of all pro-
ceedings in each case of naturalization
State.