The Stark County Democrat. [volume] (Canton, Ohio) 1833-1912, 1904-12-09


4 OF last June, with its accompanying let
ter Of the Secretary of state, recon-
mending an appropriation for commits
sion TO study the Industrial and com
mercial conditions in the Chinese EN-
pire and to report as to the opportuni-
ties for and the obstacles to the en-
| largement OF markets in China for the
raw products and manufactures of the
United States. Action was not taken
thereon during the last season. I cor
daily urge that the recommendation re-
ceive at your hands the consideration
merit"
In his annual message of 1899 he again
called attention to this recommendation,
quoting 1t, and stated further:
| II now renew this recommendation, as
the Importance of the subject has stead
to you. and no time should be lost In
studying for ourselves the resources of
this great field for American trade and
enterprise"
The Importance of securing proper in
| formation and data with a view to the
enlargement of our trade with Asia Is
| undiminished. Our consular represen-
tatives in Chica have strongly urged n
place for permanent display of American
| products In some prominent trade CEN
ter of that Empire, under Government
| control and management, as an effec-
| tive means OF advancing our export trade
therein. I~call the attention OF the Con-
gress to the desIrability of carrying out
| these suggestions.
IMMIGRATION AND NATURALIzA-
In dealing with the questions of i'm
migration ana naturalization 1t Is indis-
| pensibe to keep certain facts ever be-
! fore the minds of those VINO share In en-
| acting the laws. First and foremost, let
us remember that the question of being
a good American has nothing whatever
to do with a mans birthplace any more
than IL has to do with his creed. In ev-
| cry generation from the time this Gov
ernment was founded men of foreign
iTth has ssN.N -.
| rank of good citizenship, and that not
merely In one but in every field of Am
ertcan activity; while to try to draw a
| distinction between the man whose par
ents came to this country and the man
| whose ancestors came to 1t several gem
erations back is a mere absurdity. Good
Americanism is a matter of heart, of
! conscience, of lofty aspiration, of sound
common sense, but not of birthplace or
of creed. The medal of honor, the high
est prize to be won by those who serve
In the Army and the Navy of the Unit
ed States decorates men born here, and
| II also decoratcg men born in Great
Britain and Ireland, in Germany, in
Scandinavia, in France, and doubtless
| statesmanship, in the field of business,
| in the field of philanthropic endeavor, IL
Is, equally true that among the men of
whom we are most proud as Americans
| no distinction whatever can be drawn
| between those who themselves or whose
| parents came over In sailing ship or
1
| those whose ancestors stepped ashore
! into the wooded wilderness at Plymouth
or at the mouth of the Hudson, the
| Delaware, or the James nearly three CEN
turtles ago. No fellow-citizen of ours is
| entitled to any peculiar regard because
OF the way in which he worships his
Makero or because of the birthplace of
himself or his parents, nor should he be
| In any way Disseminated against there
for. Each must stand on his worth as
man and each is entitled to be judged
There is no danger of having too
many immigrants of the right kind Ii
| makes no difference from what country
they come. II they are sound in body
and in mind, .and, above all, IL they are
| of q good character, so that We can rest
assured that their children and their
citizens of our children and grandchil-
dren, then we should welcome them with
| cordial hospitality.
But the citizenship of this country
| should not be debased. 1t is vital that
we should keep high the standard of
! well-being among our wage-workers, and
therefore we should not admit masses of
men whose standards OF living and whose
personal customs and habits are such
| that they tend to lower the level of the
| American wage-worker; and above all
we should not admit any man of an un,
worthy type, any man concerning whom
| we can say that he will himself be
bad citizen, or that his children and
| grandchildren will detract from instead
|
! izenship of the country. Similarly we
should take the greatest care about nat
uralization. Fraudulent naturalization,
the naturalization of improper persons
| Is a curse to our Government; and II is
| the affair of every honest voter, wher-
ever born, to see that no fraudulent
voting Is allowed, that no fraud in con-
nection with naturalization is permitted.
In the past year the cases of false,
fraudulent. and improper naturaliza-
ton of aliens coming to the attention of
| branches n
ment have increased to an alarming de-
| gree. Extensive sales of forged Ger
tificates of naturalization have been
| discovered as well as many cases of
| naturalization secured by perjury and
| fraud; and In addition, instances have
accumulated showing that many courts
| issue certificates of naturalization care
| lessly and upon insufficient evidence.
Under the Constitution II Is i'm the
| power of the Congress "to establish a
| uniform rule of naturalization" and nu-
merous laws have from time to time been
| enacted for that purpose, which have
| been supplemented by few states and
State laws having special applicatlo,
The Federal statutes permit naturall-
| cation by any court of recor1 in the
United States having common-law urls
dictlon and seal and clerk, excel' the
police court of the District of Colun bla,
and nearly all these courts exercise this
| important function. 1t results that where
| so many courts OF such varying grades
| have jurisdiction, there is lack of uni
formity in the rules applied in con-
| ferring naturalization. Some courts are
| strict and others lax. An alien who may
secure naturalization in one place might
be denied II I'm another, and the intent
of the constitutional provision is in fact
defeated Furthermore the certificates
| of naturalization issued by the courts
differ widely in wording and appear
ance, and when they are brought into
use in foreign countries, are frequently
| subject to suspicion.
NATURALIZATION LAWS SHOULD
BE REVISED.
There should be a comprehensive re-
vision of the naturalization laws. The
courts having power to naturalize should
be definitely named by national author
ity; the testimony upon which naturali-
zation may be conferred should be def
nitely prescribed publication of i'm
pending naturalization, applications
should be required In advance of their
hearing in court; the form and wording
of all certificates issued should be uni-
form throughout the country, and the
courts should be required to make re-
turns to the Secretary of State at stat
ed periods of all naturalizations con-
ferred.
LAWS CONCERNING CITIZENSHIP.
ATat o,,l.K mo Ia. a1at a.