The gold leaf. [volume] (Henderson, N.C.) 1881-1911, 1904-12-29

! as is consistent with safety. Every
silver dollar should be made by law re-
deemable In gold at the option of the
holder.
Merchant Marine.
especially commend to your immedi-
ate attention the encouragement Of our
merchant marine by appropriate legis-
| lation.
The growing importance Of the orient
as field for American exports drew
from my predecessor, President Nc
kinley. an urgent request for its spe-
c1al consideration by the congress.
TIE importance OF securing proper
Information and data with view to
the enlargement of our trade with Asia
is undiminished. Our consular repre-
sentatsses in China Rave strongly
urged place for permanent display Of
American products in some prominent
trade center of that empire, under gov
ernment control and management, as
an effective means Of advancing our
export trade therein. | call the atten-
tion Of the congress to the desirability
of carrying out these suggestions
Immigration and Naturalization.
In dealing with the questions of i'm
migration and naturalization 1t Is in
dispensable to keep certain facts ever
before the minds of those who share
in enacting the laws. First and fore
most, let us remember that the ques-
tiOn of being a good American has
nothing whatever to do with mans
birthplace any more than it has to do
with his creed. In every generation
from the time this government 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 American
activity.
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
well being among our wageworkers.
and therefore we should not admit
masses Of men whose standards Of liv-
ing and whose personal customs and
habits are such that they tend to lower
the level Of the American wageworker,
and above all we should not admit any
man Of an unworthy type. Similarly
we should take the greatest care about
naturalization. Fraudulent naturaliZa-
ton, the naturalization of improper
persons, IL a curse to our government,
and 1t is the affair of every honest
@l~&A
fraudulent voting is allowed, that no
fraud In connection with natufaliza-
ton is permitted.
Revision of Natura alisatfon Laws.
There should be comprehensive re-
vision 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 DrescEihaa -,,o.....
syupenulng NATURALIZATION applcaConS
should be required in advance Of their
hearing in court, the form and word
| ing of all certificates issued should be
uniform throughout the country, and
| the courts should be required to make
returns to the secretary Of state at
| stated periods of all naturalizations
conferred.
Not only are the laws relating to
naturalization now defective. but those
relating to citizenship of the United
States ought also to be made the sub
ject of scientific inquiry with a view to
probable further legislation. The pow
er of the government to protect the in
tegrity of the elections Of its own Off
cials is inherent and has been recOg-
nized and affirmed by repeated dec
larations Of the supreme court. There
is no enemy Of free government more
dangerous and none SO insidious as
the corruption of the electorate. ! rec
ommend the enactment of law direct
ed against bribery and corruption In
federal elections.
Delays In Criminal Prosecutions.
No subject is better worthy the at
tention of tho congress than that por
ton of the report of the attorney gen
eral dealing with the long delays and
the great obstruction to justice expert
enced in the cases of Beavers, Greer
and Gaynor and Benson. Were these
isolated and special cases should not
call your attention to them, but the diff
ficulties encountered as regards these
men whe have been Indicted for crimi
nal practices are not exceptional. They
are precisely similar in kind to wha
occurs again and again in the case o
crimiffals who have sufficient means tt
enable them to take advantage Of .
system Of procedure which has growl
I'D in the federal courts and whicl
amounts in effect to making the Law
easy Of enforcement against the NAL
who has no money and difficult Of en-
forcement, even to the point Of some
times securing immunity. as regard
, the man who has money. At presen
, the interests Of the innocent man ar
, amply safeguarded, but the interests Q
!, the government-that is, the interest
Of honest administration; that Is, th
interests Of the people-are not recoe
nized as they should be.
[The president discusses the progres
, of the territories of Alaska, Hawa
, | and Porto Rico, with recommendation
: for changes in the present system
t government Of the first named. He d.
: sires to see delegate from Alaska
( congress-
! Foreign Policy.
e The steady aim Of this nation, as
. all enlightened nations, should be
D strive to bring ever nearer the da
+ when there shall prevail througho'
4 the world the peace OF justice, b'
there are kinds of peace which al
l. highly undesirable, which are In Il
long run as destructive as any wa
Il The goal to set before us as natio
q the goal which should be set before
' mankind, is the attainment OF Il
Il peace Of justice. Of the peace whaf
comes when each nation is not mere
safeguarded in its own rights, b
a scrupulously recognizes and perform
- its duty toward others. General
: peace tells for Righteousness, but