Palestine daily herald. [volume] (Palestine, Tex.) 1902-1949, 1906-09-27
RESTRICTS MAKING
OF NEW CITIZENS
THE NEW NATURALIZATION LAW
is MORE STRICT THAN THE
oLD.-THE NEW WAY.
Special to the Herald.

Special to the Herald.
Washington, D. c., Sept. 27.-Few
er naturalized citizens will vote at
the coming elections than at any
time in many years. This is one eff
feet of the new naturalization law,
passed at the recent session of con-
gress, and which goes into operation
today Under the new law the indis-
eliminate comforting of citizenship
just prior to an election is no longer
possible and the standards are high
err From the time an alien desiring
citizenship enters the United States
until he receives his final papers he
practically will be under the super
vision of the Federal government
Should he fail to possess the qualifi-
cations specified by the law he must
remain foreigner and be denied any
privileges of citizenship. He must be
able to speak English and be of good
moral character.
The new law is more discriminating
in its selection of courts designated
to naturalize Inferior courts are no
longer permitted to perform the func-
ton of comforting citizenship upon
aliens The only courts having juris-
diction in citizenship matters will be
the Federal, circuit and district !
courts and only those state courts |
that have seal, a clerk and juris-
diction at law or equity. All the
courts having Jurisdiction have re-
ceived specific instructions as to pro-
cedure and the necessary blanks |
The papers are to be uniform through
out the United States and the GER
tificates of citizenship issued will not
only be uniform, but will be num-
bered consecutively and a record
kept of them in Washington.
The provisions of the new act as
to qualifications for naturalization
are not materially different from
those existing heretofore, except that
the applicant must be able to speak
the English language. The duration
of residence is the same as that pro-
vided by the old law Under the new
act the witnesses must be American
citizens
One of the striking provisions of
the new law is the requirement that
all petitions for naturalization shall
be filed at least ninety days before
a hearing Under the old system the
applicant could be heard the same
e filed his pet1SHhe delay
will give administrative, pUfficers an
opportunity to investigate those cases
where there may be some doubt as to
the moral qualifications of the appli-
cant The new law provides also
that naturalization shall not be Z
granted within thirty days of any }
general election. The new law de- /
priVes clerks of courts of the power !
to grant certificates. Certificates
must be given by judge after a
hearing in open court, and the gov
eminent has a right to oppose if it
chooses. If it notifies the court that
it is opposed to the granting of a
certificate the court is forbidden to q
issue that certificate until after thirty d
days, thus giving the government
thirty days time in which to insti-
-ute proceedings against naturaliza-
lion. The law also provides that the
applicant must be of good moral char
acter and the proper authorities are u
required to make investigation on
his point before the certificate is /
ssued s.
Applicants for citizenship will find ID
hat. in addition to the so-called AN
lrchist clause" to which they are
to subscribe, they must d
swear that they are not polygamists f!
'r believers in polygamy Another P
provision is that if any G
applicant does not take out his sec a