The Saint Paul globe., 1897-09-26
EEGIN AT ONCE.


The Glo b desires to urge, with all
emphasis and frequency, upon the PEG
pie of this city the Importance Of
starting at once to secure the natu-
ralization of those voters who will be
disfranchised at the coming spring cleo
tion unless they proceed Immediately
to take out their second papers. There
is the greatest danger in delay, and
we fear that our people do not thor
oughly appreciate the Importance of
the matter. We speak of it, not as
Democrats, but as citizens of st. Paul
We do not know Or care to which po-
litical party the advantage of COM
plete polling list will accrue We are
very intimately and earnestly con-
cerned with its bearing upon the
standing of this city in the state Of
Minnesota and in the country at large.
There will be a city election next
spring. Various stories have been set
afloat by the enemies Of this city,
progress. Suppose, now, that the total
vote of st. Paul at next springs cleo
tion shows a decline of several thou
sand below the normal. What will be
the effect upon us as a city and
business center? It is useless to ex-
pect that other communities will un-
derstand the situation They will not
dig into our statutes and constitutional
amendments, and understand that we
have excluded from the suffrage aliens
who have not completed their naturaii-
zation. It will be just like the discus
sion over our public schools, in which,
in spite of the repeated explanations
of the newspapers, most of the outside
public has settled into the belief that
our schools were embarrassed for want
of funds because the city was hard up,
and not because of a reduction in the
assessed valuation of our property.
These not in our own community lool.
simply at results, and do not inquire
into causes. The clerk Of the courts
has stated that there are about 5000
voters in the city of ST., Paul who
will be barred out next May unless
they take out their second papers If
there is any such falling off as that i'll
our vote, it will be asserted from one.
end Of the country tc the other that
st. Paul has lost %, 900 people; and
there are certain newspapers published
in neighboring city which would not
be slow to confirm that impression
This is the danger. 1t can be avert
ed only by persistent work, and by
work begun. net next month or
next week sor ltcmorrow, but TO
day. It is stated officially, from the
office of the elerk of the courts, that
to take out fifty sets of these natural
ization papers is big days work
Suppose that it begins at once and
that the courts and the clerks office
are taxed to, their full capacity, it
would not even then be possible to
naturalize all thesyoters who need 1t.
If, now, we do not begin for couple
of months, if there7is no effort to pick
out the unnaturalized voters and have
them apply, nothing will be done, prac-
tically, until the last moment About
December we will wake up te the sit
uation, and will then have one month
in which to dc work that would re-
quire about four. The naturalization
process must be completed by January.
Afte. that, it will be too late to COM
ply with the law. The circular issued
by Mr.. Rogers shows that he is alive
to the situation. and that his Office