The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1899-09-10
A WOnAS's CITIZENSHIP.

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"A WOnAH'S CITlxeNsuIP.
The marriage Of American heiresses
to foreign husbands raises the question
whether citizenship u retained or there
by forfeited. 30 long - things run
smoothly, the probability u that the
wife will b content TO merge her ma
tionalfty In that Of her husband, but
should they 20 wrong. or property
rights become involved. she will be
very apt to want to step across the
stream again. and claim that her right
fui home 10 on American soil.
In this country II II held that the
foreign-born wife Of an American citl-
zen becomes an American citizen her
self by virtue Of her marriage. It 10
logical. therefore, that 20 far - this
government II concerned. an American
woman who marries . foreigner. and
goes with him to his alien donicile. takes
herself from without the Jurisdiction
Of the Stars and Stripes. We could not
maintain one rule with regard to this
country and another rule with refer
ence to the subjects Of . foreign poten-
tate.
It IL not quite 70 sure whether an
American-born woman could not. un-
der such circumstances. avail herself Of
the advantages Of her birthright, pro-
vided she had not taken some process
to divest herself Of her duty to her ma
tive land.
In the Maybrick case Il was at ono
time suggested that this government
interfere on the ground that the con-
vict was an American citizen. II was
claimed that her case came within the
provisions Of the constitution and OF
the act Of congress Of July q. 1853. pro-
viding for the Interpolation Of the
United States government to demand
the release Of an American citizen who
has been unjustly deprived Of liberty by
or under the authority Of . foreign
government, II II appears TO be wrong.
full and In violation OF the rights OF
American citizenship. or course. this
government. did not interfere. Although
there In no written law on the subject.
the custom and the decisions OF our
courts were held to apply to other
countries % far ~ American women
were concerned. In England the law
In that q married woman 10 TO be- deem
ed TO be the subject Of the state Of
which her husband Is a subject for the
time being.
Whether q woman loses her citizen
ship or not. must be a matter OF cir
cumstancc. Where the woman mar
ries foreigner In this country and re-
mains here. she would probably be en-
titled 10 claim the benefit Of American
laws controlling the rights OF persons
and property: but II she married for
eigner and went abroad with the insen-
ton Of making her husbands country
protection Of the United States. An
alien woman acquired American ci,i-
xenship by marriage with an American
citizen. and n was held by Attorney
General TAFT that her citizenship was
not lost by her remarriage. after the
death OF her husband, with an alien.
Attorney General Bates had 10 pass up
on "A cas. and he held that q woman
born I'm this country who married
Spanish subject residing here. and then
removed TO Spain with her husband ana
child and subsequently died there. was
sim an American citizen at her Death.
The same view was taken In the case
Of native citizen OF Louisiana, who
married an italian subject. resident In
New Orleans. the husband never having
the purpose of returning 70 italy, but
continuing at al times 10 reside Ia
Louisians. The loss OF citizenship has
also been held 10 follow voluntary cx-
pNiriation A native French woman
whe married ci;irsn OF the United
States and thereby became an Ameri-
can citizen. was held TO have resumed
her allegiance 90 her native country hy
a second marriage 60 "a French citizen.
after divorce from Ner nrs, husband
Il, this ease there VAS not even any
residence abroad. or Intention o. resil-
ing abroad during the period 81 the SEC
end marriage. No such distinction a.
made sn the decision. but & would
seem ~ Il there shoala be diferenc,
made between a case where the art
which rasse TIE woman citizen was
legally annalled and the case Of a
woman who remains In The condition
which brought the advantage up to
,he simae ~ her husbands death. The
sasis - thai decision was ,ha, tire hns-
-