Omaha daily bee., 1906-07-08
NEW NATURALIZATION Law.

There is a very broad line of de-
markation between the right of every
man to better his own condition and
that of his family by emigration and
the right of the immigrant to citizen
ship in the country of his adoption.
The policy of the United States always
has been to keep its doors open to
men of all lands who desire to seek
an asylum or a livelihood under the
stars and stripes. ALI restrictions
embodied in immigration laws have
simply been designed to safeguard the
American people from the intrusion of
criminals, paupers and people af-
fiicted with contagious disease or men
tai arrangement. ..
To confer upon men of foreign birth
the right to participate in government
franchise is high privilege, coupled
with duties and obligations which
every American citizen should be
capable of fulfilling. Our naturaliza-
IlOu ldWs nave DSSh NSiS ADSIdA anu
the misuse of the franchise by men
not qualified to exercise 1t intelligently
and conscientiously has become almost
a menace to the safety of our free
American institutions.
The new naturalization law recently
enacted by congress was primarily de-
signed to check and prevent fraudu-
lent naturalization and incidentally to
raise the standard of American citizen
ship. The new requirements, though
rigid, are believed to be for the most
part reasonable and necessary and
many of them have been urged by
representative foreisn-born as we'll as
by native citizens.
Under the new naturalization law
bureau of naturalization will be or
ganized in the Department of Com
merce, charged with keeping a de-
tailed record of all foreign immigrants
with view to Identification that will
afford proof of residence for the courts
charged with the issuance OF naturali-
cation papers. In order to acquire
full citizenship aliens Will be required
to file in a federal or state court OF
record their declaration renouncing
allegiance to the rulers of countries OF
their birth or adopted citizenship, and
thereafter to file In not less than two
nor more than seven years a petition
setting forth their eligibility; this pc
tition must be filed ninety days before
hearing and the hearing must be hat
in open court on stated days. No GER
tiflcate of naturalization to be ISSUED
within thirty days prior to any gen
eral election within the territorial tur
isdiction of the court.
In this respect, however, the new
law is practically modelled after thu
provision of the constitution of Ne
braska, which prohibits any alien from
becoming a voter unless his deelara
ton papers are taken out thirty day
prior to the day of election. the onl!
difference being that the provision o
the Nebraska constitution relates Il
aliens who are privileged to exercis
the franchise six months after thei
l esidence, while the new law apple
to the acquisition OF full citizenship
after a residence OF not less than nv
years, which is the shortest period 70
the acquisition of citizenship in most o
the states.
The only drastic requirement OF tn
new law TO which exception has bee
taken is that the petition must b
signed by the applicant in his ow
handwriting and verified" and tina
mo alien shall hereafter be natural
lied or admitted as a citizen of tn
United States who cannot speak tn
English language" While 1t is tru
that very few aliens cannot write thei
own name in some language. quite
number. perhaps. will not be able
speak the English language at the en-
! of a residence OF five years. This pro
I vision, however. Is not likely to be Ell
= forced by an unreasonable languag
/ test. Many American-born citizens
I not speak English dramatically c
! pronounce English correctly. and PEI
. feet pronunciation or correct interpr,