San Antonio daily light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1886-1907, 1896-05-19
THE EXPRESS DODGEs.

Inc Sdn AnuOHlO EhpIeeo nus
the following editorial comment
on the Mexican citizen test case
which amounts to a confession OF
ignorance on the part OF the editor
less excusable than the ignorance
Of Ricardo Rodrigues:
"There are several questions Of
public policy involved in the natu-
radiation case now before the
United States court in this city be.
sides the one of the eligibility OF
Mexicans to citizenship. Next
can descent should be no par
10 citizenship in this country and
it was probably never intended
that it should be. These other
questions however, bear directly
upon the growing belief among
Americans that we have been
making citizenship too easy for the
good of the country. According to
the local court report in the Ex-
press yesterday the applicant in
this particular case stated that he
had been here thirteen years, COM
ing from Laredo to this city.
When asked IL he wanted to be-
come citizen Of this country he
replied that he did and gave his
reason that he resided here. He
didn't know what the form Of
government was, but thought it
was a republic. He was asked
who was the president of the
United States, and he re-
piled that he did not know but
Porfirio Dirz was the president of
Mexico. He did not known who
was the governor of Texas, and re-
piled, after some hesitation, when
asked if Texas was a republic, a
state or city, that he thought it
was state. He could not speak
English, nor could he read or
write in his own language. He
did not know anything about the
constitution Of the United States
or the laws Of the country. When
asked to what country he would
owe allegiance in case of war be.
tween Mexico and the United
States he replied that he did not
know. He was not a soldier and
did not want to fight. This is GER
tainly not the most promising ma.
terial out Of which to make citi-
zens OF great republic whose gov
eminent is supposed to be "of, from
and by the people" The necessity
of some change in the law defining
the right Of suffrage was signifi-
cantly set forth by Judge Maxey
when, in explaining that delay
in the case would work no hard
ship; as the man "couId vote on
his intention paper" 1t would be
interesting to know just how this
newly enrolled suffragist will vote
next November upon national is
sues"
What are the Several questions
Of public policy involved besides
one of eligibility" AS the Express
fails to answer, except in a scatter
ing comment upon the ignorance
and illiteracy of Ricardo Rodri-
ques, we conclude that the editor
is simply talking through his hat
thought he had to say something
about the case and didn't know
what he was talking about. The
whole case rests upon the eligibil-
ity Of the applicant-and must be
decided upon the law governing
the case. No question OF public
policy can be injected into the
case.
If it is considered desirable that
the natives Of Mexico, who are
classed in the official census OF that
country under the head of Indians,
or mixed blood, etc., should be
naturalized, then the congress Of
the United States must change the
naturalization laws. The truth is
Mexico is not anxious that her
people should desert their nation
atty and become the citizens OF
another country; nobody is asking
for this privilege in this broad
expanse Of Texas, but poor Ricardo
Rodrigues, who says he wants to
be United States citizen because
this is his home he has lived here
and exercised all the rights
and privileges of a citizen under
the vicious custom prevalent in
this section; he will remain happy
and contented without his final
papers and escape thereby the an
noyance of being rounded up every
election to vote for the "Big &" or
some other local com bination OF
office seekers; but il he is entitled
to IL he should have IT, Did the