The Worthington advance. [volume] (Worthington, Minn.) 1874-1908, 1904-12-09

4;
. curse 70 our government: and Il - the
affair OF every honest voter. wherever born.
to see that NO fraudulent voting 10 allowed
that no fraud In connection with natural-
ization II permitted.
Naturalization Laws Need Revision.
There should be comprehensive revi-
sion Of the naturalization laws. The courts
having power to naturalizc should he
definitely named by national authority; the
testimony upon which naturalization may
be conferred should be definitely pres cribed:
publication OF impending naturalization
applications should be required in advance
of their hearing in court: the form and
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, subject
Of scientific inquiry with view to prob
able further legislation. BY what acts
expatriation may be assumed to have
been accomplished, how long an Amer
lean citizen may reside abroad and re-
ceive the protection Of our passport,
whether any degree of protection should
be extended to one who has made the
declaration of intention to become a citi-
zen of the United States but has not Sc
cured 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 citizen
ship, expatriation and protection of
Americans abroad, with view to ap-
propriate legislation.
Protection Of Elections.
The power of the government to pro-
tect the integrity of the elections OF its
own officials Is inherent and has been
recognized and affirmed by repeated
declarations Of the supreme court. There
Is no enemy Of free government more
dangerous and none so insiGious as the
corruption of the electorate. No one de-
tends or excuses corruption, and it would
seem to follow that none would oppose
vigorous measures to eradicate It, I
recommend the enactment of a law d.
rected against bribery and corruption in
federal elections. The details of such a
law may be safely left to the wise dis
| cretion of the congress, but it should go
as far as under the constitution it Is pos
sible to 60, and should include severe
penalties against him who gives or re-
ceives bride intended to influence his
act or opinion as an elector; and pro-
visions for the publication not only of
the expenditures for nominations and
elections of all candidates but also of
all contributions received and expendi-
lures made by political committees.
Our Foreign Policy.
In treating of our foreign policy and Of
the attitude that this great nation should
assume in the world at large, 1t Is alb
solutely necessary to consider the army
and the navy, and the congress- through
which the thought of the nation finds its
expression, should keep ever wildly in
mind the fundamental fact that It is i'm
possible to treat our foreign policy,
whether this policy takes shape in the
effort to secure justice for others or
justice for ourselves. save as conditioned
upon the attitude we are willing to take
toward our army. and especially toward
our navy. 1t is not merely unwise, 1t is
contemplate, for a nation, as for an in
dividual, to use high-sounding language
to proclaim its purposes. or to take posi-
lions which are ridiculous If unsupported
by potential force and then to refuse to
provide this force. II there is no inten-
ton of providing and of keeping the
, force necessary to back up strong at
, titude, then It is far better not to assume
such an attitude.
Striving for World Peace.
The steady aim of this nation as Of all
enlightened nations, should be to strive
to bring ever nearer the day when there
! shall prevail throughout the world the
peace Of justice. There are kinds OF
! peace which are highly undesirable.
! which are III the long run as destructive
as any war. Tyrants and opprcssors have
many times made wilderness and
called it peace. Many times peoples who
rtNr ptc t6Rh tar
who had been enervated by ease or by
luxury, or misled by false teachings.
have shrunk in unmanly fashion from
doing duty that was stern and that need
ed self-sacrifce, and have sought to hide
from their own minds their shortcom-
ings, their ignoble motives. by calling
them love of peace. The peace OF tyran-
, nous terror, the peace of craven weak
! ness, the peace of injustice, all these
should be Stunned as we shun upright
eous war. The goal to set before us as q
nation, the goal which should be set be.
fore all mankind. Is the attainment OF
the peace Of justice, Of the peace which
comes when each nation is not merely
safe-guarded in its own rights, but
scrupulously recognizes and performs Its
duty toward others. Generally peace tells
for righteou sness; but II there Is conflict
between the two, then our fealty Is due
first to the cause OF righteousness on-
righteous peace is rare: but both should
be Stunned. The right of freedom and
the responsibility for the exercise Of that
right cannot be divorced. One Of our
great poets has we'll and finely said that
., freedom is not q gift that tarries long
in the hands of towards. Neither does
it tarry long in the hands of those too
slothful, too dishonest or too unlntelli-
gent to exercises it. The eternal vigilance
! which is the price of liberty must be ex-
! ercised, sometimes to guard against out
side foes; although Of course far. more
often to guard against our own selfish
or thoughtless shortcomings.
Not Ready for Disarmament.
II these se!f-evident truths are kept be-
|. fore us, ard only If they are 50 kept before
us we shall have q clear idea of what our
foreign policy in Its larger aspects should
be. It Is our duty to remember that ma
ton has no more right to do injustice to
another nation, strong or weak. than an
individual has to do injustice to another
individual; that the same moral law applies
In one case as In the other. But we must
also remember that 1t IL a. much tho duty
| Of the nation to guard its own rights and
| it's own interests as 1t is the duty OF the
individual so to do. Within the nation the
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