The Savannah morning news. (Savannah, Ga.) 1900-current, 1904-12-07

way Disseminated against therefor
Each must stand on his worth as a
man and each is entitled TO be judged
solely thereby.
Danger i'm Too Many Immigrants
There is no danger Of having too
many immigrants of the right kind
II makes no difference from what
country they come. If they are SOUND
in body and in mind, and, above all,
if they are of good character, so that
We can rest assured that their child
rem and grandchildren will be worthy
fellow citizens of our children and
grandchildren, 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 liV-
ing and whose personal customs and
habits are such that they tend to low
er 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 citi-
zen, or that his children and grand
children will detract from instead of
adding to the sum of the good citi-
zenship of the country. Similarly we
should take the greatest care about
naturalization. Fraudulent naturaliza-
ton, the naturalization of improper
persons, is curse to our government;
and it is the affair of every honest
voter, wherever born, to see that no
fraudulent voting is allowed, that no
fraud in connection with naturalization
is permitted.
Naturalization Frauds.
In the past year the cases of false,
fraudulent, and improper naturaliza-
ton of aliens coming to the attention
of the executive branches of the gov
eminent have increased to an alarm
ing degree. Extensive sales of forged
certificates of naturalization have been
discovered, as we'll as many cases of
naturalization secured by perjury and
fraud, and in addition, instances have
accumulated showing that many courts
issue certificates of naturalization
carelessly and upon insufficient evil
dence.
Under the Constitution it is in the
power of the Congress ito 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. The federal statutes per-
nit naturalization by any court of rec
ord in the United States having COM
mon law jurisdiction and a seal and
clerk, except the police court of the
District of Columbia, and nearly all
of these courts exercise this import
ant 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
1;sx., &so,, ~,
place might be denied it in another,
and the intent of the constitutional
provision is in fact defeated. Further
more, the certificates of aturalization
issued by the courts differ widely in
wording, and appearance, and when
they are brought into use in foreign
countries, are frequently subject to
suspicion.
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
authority; the testimony upon which
naturalization may be conferred should
be definitely prescribed; publication of
impending naturalization applications
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 view
to probable further legislation.
Citizenship Laws.
BY what acts expatriation may be
assumed to have been accomplished,
how long an American citizen may
reside abroad and receive the protec-
ton of our passport, whether any de-
gree of protection should be extended
to one who has made the declaration
of intention to become a citizen of the
United States but has not secured
naturalization, are questions of serious
| import, involving personal rights and
often producing friction between this
government and foreign governments.
Yet upon these questions our laws are
silent. / recommend that an examina-
ton be made into the subjects of
citizenship, expatriation, and protec-
ton of Americans abroad, with view
to appropriate legislation.
PROTECTION OF THE BALLOT.