Kansas agitator. [volume] (Garnett, Kan.) 1890-1905, 1904-12-09

silent. recommend that an examination
be made into the subjects of citizenship,
repatriation, and protection of Ameri-
cans abroad. with view to appropriate
legislation.
Currency
The attention of the Congress should
be especially given to the currency qnes-
ton. and that the standing committees
on the matter in the two houses charged
with the duty, take up the matter of our
currency and see whether 1t Is not pos
sible to secure an agreement In the bust
ness world for lettering the system; the
committees should consider the question
of the retirement of the greenbacks and
the problem of securing in our currency
such elasticity as Is consistent with safe
ty. Every silver dollar should be made
by law redeemable in gold at the option
of the holder.
Merchant Marine.
I especially commend to your immedi
ate attention the encouragement of our
merchant marine by appropriate legisla-
ton.
On the tariff I shall communicate with
you later.
immigration and Naturalization.
In dealing with the questions of imm
grafton and naturalization 1t Is indis
pensable to keep certain facts ever be-
fore the minds of those who 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 1t has to do with his creed. In
every generation from the time this gov
eminent was founded men of foreign
birth have stood in the very foremost
rank of good citizenship. and that not
merely in one but in every field of Amer
lean activity; while to try to draw dis
tinction between the man whose parents
came to this country and the man whose
ancestors came to it several generations
back is mere absurdity. Good Ameri-
canism is a matter of heart, of consci-
ence, of lofty aspiration. of sound COM
mon sense, but not of birthplace or of
creed.
There is no danger of having too many
immigrants of the right kind. But the
citizenship of this country should not be
debased. 1t is vital that we should keep
high the standard of wel-beng 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 unworthy 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 of adding to the
sum of the good citizenship of the coun-
try. Similarly we should take the great
est care about naturalZat ton.
Under the Constitution it Is In the
power of the Congress "to establish
uniform rule of naturalization" and
numerous laws have from time to time
been enacted for that purpose. which
have been supplemented in few states
by state laws having special application.
There should be a comprehensive revision
of the naturalization laws. The courts
having power to naturalize should be
definitely named by national authority;
the testimony upon which naturalization
may be conferred should be definitely pre-
scribed; publication of impending natural
iZation applca tons should be required in
advance of their hearing in court: the
form and wording of all certificates issued
should be uniform throughout the coun-
try. and the courts should be required to
make returns to the Secretary of State
at stated periods of all naturalizations
conferred.
Protection Of Elections.
The power of the government to pro-
tect the integrity of the elections Of it's
own officials is inherent and has been
recognized and affirmed by repeated dec
larations of the Supreme court There
is no enemy of free government more
dangerous and none so insidious the
corruption of the electorate. No one de-
tends or excuses corruption, and 1t would
seem to follow that none would oppose
vigorous measures to eradicate it. l
recommend the enactment of a law di-
rected against bribery and corruption in
Federal elections. The details of such a
law may be safely left to the wise discre-
tion of the Congress. but it should go
as far as under the Constitution it is
possible to go. and should include severe
penalties against him who gives or re-
ceives bribe intended to influence his
act or opinion as an eector; and provi-
sions for the publication not only of the
expenditures for nominations and cleo
tions of all candidates but also of all
received and expenditures
made by political committees.
Delays in Criminal Prosecutions.
No subject is better worthy the atten-
ton of the Congress than that portion of
the report of the Attorney General deal
ing with the long delays and the great
obstruction to justice experienced in the |
cases of Beavers. Green and Gaynor and |
Benson Were these isolated and special |
cases. l should not call your attention to |
them; but the difficulties encountered as |
regards these men who have been indict- |
ed for criminal practices are not eXcep |
tional; they are precisely similar in kind |
TO what occurs again and again in the |
case of criminals who have sufficient |
means to enable them to take advantage |
Of system of procedure which has |
grown up in the Federal courts and |
which amounts in effect to making the |
aw easy of enforcement against the man |
who has no money, and difficult of en- |
forcement, even to the point of some |
times securing immunity. as regards the |
nan who has money. In criminal cases |
The writ of the United States should run
throughout its borders The wheels of |
Justice should not be clogged. as they |
nave been clcgged in the cases above
mentioned. where it has proved absolute
y impossible to bring the accused to the
place appointed by the Constitution for
his trial.
At present the interests of the inno-
cent man are amply safeguarded; but |
he interests of the government. that is.
he interests of honest administration.
hat is the interests of the people. are
lot recognized as they should be. No
subject better warrants the attention of
he Congress. Indeed, no subject better
IA rra N the attention pf the bapph and |