The Telegraph-courier. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1888-1946, 1909-03-11
The Passing of the Foreign Vote


Kenosha will be novelty along one
line and that will be the fact that
the frantic voting of recently natural
lied citizens of foreign birth will be
eliminated The Office Of the clerk Of
the Circuit Court will not this year
be crowded by the politicians and the
aliens, for it will profit alters nothing
to take out first papers just before
election The new law in Wisconsin
in regard to the voting Of aliens is
already in action and the politicians
will profit nothing this year by the
naturalization Of foreign voters. The
day Of the power of the foreigner to
control elections in Wisconsin is pass
ing and his power will be entirely lost
after the first day Of December 1912.
The man who has been accustomed to
round up the foreigners on the last
few days before election is out Of a
job for this year. The only members
Of this vast population of Kenosha who
are entitled to vote are the men who
declared their intentions to become
citizens before the first day of Deem
Der Of last year. There is no chance
for colonization Of foreigners, for the
election clerks will be notified that
any man voting on first papers must
show that these papers were issued to
him before the first of last December.
After the four-year limit has expired
the rule of the foreigners will be en-
tirely done away with in Wisconsin
and when that year Of Jubilee comes
the voting power will. be wholly in
the hands Of men who are American
citizens Section 2 of Article III of
the constitution of the State of Wis
consin now reads: "Persons of foreign
birth, who, prior to the first day of
December A. D. 1908, shall have de-
clared their intention to become citi-
zens conformable to the laws of the
United States on the subject Of
naturalization, shall be deemed quail
fed electors; provided that the rights
hereby granted to such persons shall
cease on the first day Of December A.
D. 1912"
This is not a state statute subject
to Interpretation by the Supreme
Court Of the state. It is a. constitu
tional provision and it leaves no loop
hole through which the unprincipled
politician and the untutored alien may
find way to figure as the controlling
force in Wisconsin elections. Tt is
equally effective in a general and a
municipal election. It's provisions may
not be widely known to the foreign
population, but the officials Of the city
and of the political parties will see to
it that it is strictly enforced. The
law is one that has long been sought
by the people who believed that Wis
consin should be governed by Ameri-
can citizens and not by aliens and the
election next month will put the pro-
vision to the test for the first time.
Leaders among the foreigners should
protect their fellow countrymen against
any possible infringement of this con
stitutional provision. There will
doubtless be men running for office
who will seek to set aside this provi-
sion, but any action Of this nature is
in direct violation Of the highest law
of the state and the district attorney
will be prompt to prosecute any man
who attempts to impose on the creduli
ty Of the foreigner who has not taken
out his first papers by seeking to have
him attempt to vote at the coming
election. The enforcement Of the con-
stitutional provision will undoubtedly
cut the vote in some Of the wards of
the city and while it is not meant to
intimidate any man who has legal
right to vote every possible precaution
will be taken to prevent the abuse of
the right of suffrage in Kenosha.