Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1906-09-29

Making immigrants into American
citizens will be much more difficult
after Sept ~. On that date the new
congress will go into effect says a
Washington special dispatch 10 the
Chicago Post. @
What are the requirements of the
new law? The answer is long and
complicated. But here is IL typical
case. Let US suppose that Joseph Spa
getti comes to America from Rome an
irving Sept. %. The new law will
then be in effect. Spagetti decides
that he will stay at HaZleton, Pa. IL
work i'll the coal mines. He has friends
there
Now, there is no hurry about Jo-
seph's first papers" He will gain
nothing by applying at once for under
the new law he must live in the coun-
try five years before he can become u
naturaliZed citizen, and he must wait
two years between his first and second
papers.
Suppose at the end of year or two
Spa getti decides that he will stay. He
Will have to go to the clerk of the
court. either federal or state. having
Jurisdiction where he resides and make
his declare ton. This will cost ST. He
can do it through an interpreter if he
is una BILE to speak English. The clerk
Of the court will I'LL Il form stating
that the applicant is white or Il negro.
etc. There are nine states in which
this simple declaration will entitIe him
oil HI 70
take up public lands.
Joseph Spagetti must now wait two
years. That much time at least, must
elapse. So Joseph waits until the five
year period has eXpired-tive years
from the date of his landing. 1t will
he 1911. in September. Joseph looks
up two neighbors for witnesses. These
witnesses must be American citizens.
They must be persons of good charac-
ter. and they must be able To swear of
their own knowledge that Joseph Spa
Eetti has lived in the United States
five years. This time he must take 81
as Il fee for the clerk of the court.
But before he goes to the clerk he
must do another important thing. He
must write TO Washington. to the bu-
reau of naturalization, asking the bu-
reau To send him certificate showing
that he has been in the United States
five years. The bureau will examine
the immigration records at New York
and. finding everything as he repre-
scented will send him his certificate
free OF cost. So Spagetti goes to the
court for final citizenship with his GER
tificatc. a copy of his original declara-
ton and his two American citizen wit
nesSeS
This time. the law specifies, he must
tell his wishes TO the clerk in English.
and the clerk must find out if he can
talk English. Then the two witnesses
will be questioned. The answers to
these questions will be made under
oath aud will be put into the form of
two atfidavitS. The witnesses will be
asked whether Spagetti is a law abid-
ing person, whether he ever has been
arrested or sent to Jail and whether he
knows about the American constitu-
ton and form of government and likes
1t. The Witnesses will also be asked 4
few questions about themselves
If everything appears satisfactory
Spagetti will sign the formal applica
tion and the witnesses will sign the
affidaVits. Then the clerk will tell Spa
getti TO come back on a certain date
about three months later, when the
court is in session. So he gives up his
81 and all his papers and goes away.
1hereupOn the clerk of the court !
starts the ball rolling. The applicable |
is made out in duplicate. and one copy, |
with the affidavits and certificate at
tached is within the next thirty days /
sent TO Washington to the bureau of |
Here it is thoroughly |
invest igated. The law allows the bu-
reau sixty days for this purpose, and
no final certificate of citizenship can be
given before that time has expired.
And this is where Uncle Sam gets
busy 1t is not enough that Spagetti's
papers are all in proper form and look
The bureau will send out in
spectOrs to find if in fact things are
what they seem. If a special agent
found the witnesses to be professional
witnesses or Spagetti to be felon or
/ bad character he would so report,
md the bureau would send word to the
district attorney TO appear on the day
ct for Spagetti to come in and to OPP
,ose- the granting of citizenship to him.
f the court persisted the district at
orney could note an appeal to the
higher court
If. however, Spagetti is found to be
good. peaceable man and his wit
lesses good American citizens the
gent so reports to the bureau. and the
bureau returns the papers TO the clerk
f the court without objection to the
ranting OF certificate of citizenship. 4
So on the final day Spagetti goes to
he court with his witnesses. He
hows that he can talk English. He
nswers any questions the court de-
Tres to ask and any which may be
ut by the district attorney, if the lat
pr interposes objections Then he
avs another So Che has paid So in alb
nd iS handed haaIIfift,Jlr-