The Telegraph-courier. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1888-1946, 1906-07-19
new LAWS STRICT
New Naturalization Laws Planned
to do Away With Many Abuses
Of Rights Of Citizenship
CURBS ELECTION BOOMERS
Clerk of the Circuit Court Will be no
Longer Able to Issue Certificates Of
Intention Just Previous to
Election Day

! The naturalization laws Of the
| United States have until lately been
more of a menace to the people than
lof a blessing. There has been some
| justification in the statement, made
by prominent woman suffragists, that
the American born and bred inte1li-
gent women are not entitled to cast
their vote while the often ignorant,
even i1literate immigrant, after hav-
ing been here one year, comes into
possession of this, the most precious
of all rights in free and popularity
| governed country.
| 1t is also known how scanda1ous
transactions have been made in vari-
Gus parts of the country whereby new
Corners in some illegal manner or
their first papers IN order to be in a
position to vote for the candidate who
pays the fee-and other incidental
| expenses.
! Our national lawmakers at last have
needed the appeals from the country,
/ duu llAC lCSu1l - q nGW udl uIdllLdllOu
law, which will in many instances
effect sweeping changes, and yet at
the same time, all deserving foreign
ers, coming to this shore who may be
| honest and desire to become American
citizens, will have the fullest oppor-
tunity to enjoy that privilege which a
a native American does.
The new law requires that close
record be kept Of every individual
alien arriving at American ports,
giving full description of his ap-
pearance, his age, height, weight,
color, complexion, occupation, last
address previous to arrival in the
United States, name of ship aboard
which he comes, ETC., etc.
In order that an alien may become a
citizen Of the United States, the fol-
| lowing order must be complied with
to the letter: He must on oath de-
| clare before authorized courts that it
is his bona fide intention to become a
citizen of the country and to forever
renounce his allegiance to any foreign
prince, potentate, or government.
This must be done at least two years
previous to his admission.
In the petition to the government
for citizenship there are number of
other important factors to consider,
which cannot be extensively dealt
| with in daily newspaper.
The law sets forth that ''no person
shall be natura1ized nor shall any
certificate of naturalization be issued
| by any court within thirty days pre-
ceding the holding Of any general
election within its territorial iurisdic-
ton"
No person, who is disbe1iever in
or an opponent to organized govern
ment and no person who is a po1yga-
mist, can be made citizen of the
United States. Thus, anarchists are
explicitly enjoined to refrain from
application for citizenship.
The most sweeping departure in the
new law, perhaps, is the requirement
that no person who is unable to speak
the English language, can be citi-
zen. This is very good provision,
and deserves praise from the people
at large. There is only one bad fea-
ture about tit should have been
made long ago.
A declaration of intention to become
citizen must be made, and new
blanks have been designed for this
purpose. Then petition for natur-
alization must be made and subscribed
to, according to the detailed REQ uire.
ments of the somewhat complicated
law.
AS the present form for the dec1ara-
ton of intention to become natural
lied does not contain any reference to
age, occupation, place or birth, date
OF arrival in the country, and name of
ship, etc., and as all this information
must be submitted to the officials ac-
cording to the new law, some are in
clined to think the already issued first
papers invalid, as the new law goes
into effect September %. They hold
that the. suffrage right bestowed upon
aliens at the time of the issuance Of
their first papers must become void
and nu1lifed. The new law requires
certain answers by the applicant
which are not demanded by the law
now in vogue.
In the meanwhile, it is evident from
a passage in the new law that this
cannot be done, but that the man who
already holds his first papers, will
continue to retain his suffrage right,
for the law says explicitly: 'oThat the
requirements of this section (Sec. 81
shall not apply to any alien who has,
prior to the passage os this act, de-