Decorah public opinion. (Decorah, Winneshiek County [Iowa]) 1895-1928, 1904-12-07
PRESIDENTS MESSAGE Continued

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the United States.
1t is desirable to enact proper ma
tional quarantine law.
l call your attention to the great
extravaganza in printing and binding
government publications and especially
to the fact that altogether too many Of
these publications are printed.
The attention of the congress should
be especially given to the. currency
question and that the standing commit
tees on the matter in the two houses
charged with the duty take up the mat
ter OF our currency and see whether 1t
Is not possible to secure an agreement
In the business world for lettering the
system. The committees should con-
slider the question of the retirement Of
the greenbacks and the problem Of Sc
curing in our currency such elasticity
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 it's spe-
cial consideration by the congress.
The Importance of securing proper
information and data with view to
the enlargement of our trade with Asia
is undiminished. Our consular repre-
sentatives in China have strongly
urged place for permanent display Of
American products in some prominent
trade center of that empire, under gov
eminent control and management, as
an effective means of advancing our
export trade therein. call the atten-
ton 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 it 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-
ton Of being 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
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 naturaliza-
ton is permitted.
Revision Of Naturalization Laws.
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 SUBJ
1ect Of scientific inquiry with view to
probable further legislation. The pow
er Of the government to protect the in
tegrity Of the elections Of its own off,
Gals 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. l 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 the 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, Green
and Gaynor and Benson. Were these
isolated and special cases should not
call your attention to them, but the diff
flculties encountered as regards these
men who have been indicted for crimi-