The copper era., 1906-10-04
New Naturalization Law Effective Sep
TENDER 9th.


feet of the new naturalization law,
passed at the recent session of con-
syress, and which went into operation
September 9th. Under the new law |
the lndiscriminate comforting of |
citizenship just prior to an election |
is no longer possible and the stand /
ards are higher. From the time an |
alien desiring citizenship enters the |
United States until he receives his
tiual papers he practically will be I'M !
der the supervision of the federal
government. Should he fail to
possess the qualifications specified by
the law he must remain a foreigner
and be denied any privileges of ctr
zensaip. He must be able to speak
English and be of good moral char
acter.
The new law is more discriminating
ia its selection of courts designated
to naturalize. Inferior courts are no
longer permitted to perform the
Function of comforting citizenship
upon aliens. The only courts having
Jurisdiction in citizenship matters
will he the federal, circuit and dis
trict courts and only those state
courts that have a seal, u clerk and
jurisdiction at law or equity, All the
courts having jurisdiction have re-
ceiVed specific instruction as to pro-
cedure and the necessary blanks.
The papers are to be uniform, but
will be numbered 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
day he fled his petition. The delay
will give administrative officers an
opportunity to investigate those
cases where there may be some doubt
as to the moral qualifications of the
applicant. The new law provides
also that naturalization shall not be
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 a judge after d
hearing in open court, and the gov
eminent has a right to oppose if il
chooses. If 1t notifies the court thai
it is opposed to the granting of {
certificate the court is forbidden tt
issue that certificate until afte1
thirty days, thus giving the govern
ment thirty days time in which tt
institute proceedings against natural
ization. The law also provides tina
the applicant must be of good mora
character and the proper authorize.
are required to make investigation
on this point before the certificate i
issued.
Applicants for citizenship will fint
that, in addition to the so-caIlet
anarchist clause" to which they ar
required to subscribe, they mus
swear that they are not polygamist
or believers in polygamy. Anothe
interesting provision is that if an
applicant does not take out his sec
Ond papers within seven years afte
he has taken out his first papers, h
must begin again. The price of tn
final certificates goes up from 81 il
some courts and $3.50 in others, to
apiece fact that is calculated t
discourage politicians from putin
up the money for the papers in orde
that they may get the votes of tn
citizens they help to make
Heavy penalties are provided fo
those who practice fraud in gettin
certificates for themselves or flo
others. Forgery of a certificate
made felony and is punishable b
Imprisonment for not more than tie
years or by a fine of not more tina
$4,000 or both. Similar punishment
is provided for engraving a plat
from which certificates may be made
Clerks who issue certificates to per
sons not entitled to them are subjec
to imprisonment for not more tina
five years or by fine not exceedin
$1,000. Imprisonment for five year
and a fine not exceeding $1,000
provided for the punishment of
person having in his possession with
out lawful excuse any blank certif
cate of citizenship. Failure by
clerk to account for every certifcat
furnished him makes him subject to
fine of $50 for each certificate TO
which he fails to make proper &C
count.
There appears to be a misundel
standing as to what is required o
state courts under the new law
Such courts are not required t
naturalize aliens. 1t is left discre
fiOnarv with