The La Jara chronicle. (La Jara, Conejos County, Colo.) 1896-19??, 1904-12-09

he made into the subjects OF citizenship,
expatriation. and protection of Amcri-
cans abroad, with a view TO appropriate
legislation.
Currency. =
| The attention OF the Congress should
be especially given to the currency ques-
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 whether 1T is not pos
sible to secuie agreement In the hus-
ness world for bettering the system: the
committees should consider the question
| of the retirement of the greeubacks 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 appi opiatc legisla-
tion.
On the tarir shall communicate with
you later.
immigration and Naturalization.
In dealing with the questions of immi-
grafton and naturalization 1t is iudis-
| pcnsablc 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
| good American has nothing whatever
| to do with "A mans birthplace any more
than it has to do with his creed. In
every generation from the time this gov
ernment 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 dis
tinction between the man whose parents
came to this country and the man whose
ancestors came to 1t several generations
back is a mere absurdty. Good Amcri-
cansm is "A matter of heart Of consci-
ence, of lofty aspiration. of sound COM
mon sense hut not of birthplace or Of
creed.
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-beng among
our wage-workers, and therefore
should not admit masses of men whose
standards of living and whose personal
customs and habits such that they
tend to lower the level Of the American
wage worker; and above all we should
not admit any man OF unworthy type.
any man concerning whom We can say
that he will himself be n bad citizen. or
that his children and grandchildren will
dctract 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 1t is In the
power of the Congress Ito establish
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,
There should be comprehensive revision
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
izaton 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 to
! make returns to the Secretary n State
at 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 been
recognized 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. No one de-
fends or excuses corruption, and it would
seem to follow that none would oppose
vigorous measures to eradicate 1t.
recommend the enactment of law d-
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 go
| as ldt as uilutT inc constitution IL is
possible to go. and should include severe
penalties against him who gives or re-
ceves n bribe intended to influence his
act or opinion as an elcCtor: 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 attcn-
| tiDn of the Congress than that nf
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. j 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 precisely similar in kind
to what occurs again and again in the
case of criminals who have sufficient
means to enable them to take advantage
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. aud difficult of en-
forcement. even to the point of some
times securinT immunity. as 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 clogged. they
have been clCgged 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 administration,
that is the interests of the people, are
not recognized as 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
made. among others the admission of
delegate from that territory to con
gress
Hawaii and Porto Rico.
The Alaskan natives should be given
the right to acquire hold, and dispose
OF property upon the same conditions as
given other Inhabitants; and the privilege
of citizenship should be given to such as
may be able to meet certain definite re-