The Glenwood post., 1904-12-10

. tIlHl an examination
De made into the subjects of citizenship
expatration. and protection of Ameri-
cans abroad with view to appropriate
legislation.
Currency.
Ihe attention OF the Congress should
be especially given to the currency uues-
tion. 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 IT is not pos
slble to secure agreement in the busi-
ness world for betterng 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.
especially commend to your immedi-
ate attention the encouragement of our
merchant marine by appropriate legisia-
ton
Tariff.
On the tariff l shall communicate with
you later
immigration and Naturalization.
In dealing with the questions of immi-
grafton and naturalization it is indis-
pensnbe 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 mans birthplace any more
than it has to do with his creed. In
every generation from the time this gov
ernnent 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 a dis
hot ha ,,rl,,s to
came to this country and the man whose
| ancestors came to it several generations
back is a 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 knc. Put the
citizenship of this country should not be
debased. 1t is vital that we should keep
| nigh the standard of wel-being among
| our wage-workers. and therefore we
| should not admit masses of men whose
| standards of living and whose personal
customs aud 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 naturalization.
| Under the Constitution it is in the
| power Of the Congress "to establish a
| uniform rule of naturalization" and
numerous laws have from time to time
| been enacted for that purpose. which
| have been supplemented in n few states
| by state laws having special applica ton.
| If Ia
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 applications 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 tc
| make returns to the Secretary of State
a stated periods of all naturalizations
| conferred.
Protection of Elections.
| The power of the government to pro.
tect the integrity of the elections of its
own officials is inherent and has beer
recognized and affirmed by repeated dec.
| arations OF the Supreme court Ther,
| is no enemy of free government more
| dangerous and none so insidous as the
| corruption of the electorate. No one de-
| fends or excuses corruption, and 1t would
seem to follow that none would oppose
! vigorous measures to eradicate 1t.
! 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 1t should &c
! as far as under the Constitution 1t is
possible to go. and should include severe
penalties against him who gives or re-
| ceives bribe intended to influence his
act or opinion an eleCtor: and provi-
| sions for the publication not only of the
! expenditures for nominations and cleo
! tions of all candidates but also of all
! contributions 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 prccisel- similar in kind
| to what occurs again and again in the
| case of criminals who have sufficient
means to enable tIcm to take advantag ge
of system of procedure which has
grown up in the Federal courts and
which amounts in effect to making the
law easy of enforcement against the man
who has no money, and difficult of en-
| forcement even to the point OF some
times securir- immunity, regards the
man who has money. In criminal cases
the writ of the United States should run
throughout its borders. The wheels OF
Justice should not be cogged. as they
have been clCsged in the cases above
mentioned, where it has proved absolute
ly 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
the interests Of the government that is,
the interests of honest administ ira tion.
that is the interests of the people. are
not recognized they should be. No
subject better warrants the attention of
the Congress Indeed, no subject better
warrants the attention OF the bench and
the bar throughout the United States.
Many suggestions for the improve
ment of conditions in Alaska are