Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1910-03-14
LAW FOR THE ALIEN
Right of Suffrage Restricted
by Act of Congress.
RESULTS OF REGULATION
Marked Improvement in Character
of the Immigrants.
EFFECT ON ELECTION TACTICS
Foreign-Born Laborers Valuable to
American Contractors and
Other Large Operators.
BY WILLIAM F., RTIS

BY WILLIAM F. CURTIS.
Written for The Star and the Chicago Record
Herald
The abuses of the naturalization privi-
lege became so notorious that Congress
passed a law three years ago closing
the open door, and providing regula-
tons which restrict the right of suffrage
to such citizens of foreign birth as are
able to demonstrate their qualifications.
In an interview with Mr.. Gladstone at
Hawarden, during the campaign which
preceded the election of William Mckinley
as President. he commented upon Ameri
can institutions with both freedom and
wisdom. and declared that the greatest
perils to which the government of the
United States is exposed are universal
suffrage and naturalization. He spoke of
the enormous immigration that was
/ pouring into ports from all the other
countries in the world which are con-
tributng to our population in many
cases their very worst classes. who never
could become desirabl citizens. And the
freedom with which such persons could
obtain suffrage and participate in the
government of the country would have
to be checked before long, Mr.. Gladstone
believed. or our elections would ultimate
ly be controlled by mobs of illterate and
, irresponsible foreigners. He took a very
pessimistic view of the prospect, and
expressed his amaZement that the states
men and political economists of the
United States We're regarding the matter
with such great Indifference.
Chinese Statesman's Views.
Ii Hung Chang. the great Chinese
statesman. took similar view of the
situation. He, too declared, during his
visit to the United States. that our loose
naturalization laws would bring ruin upon
the country il they were not amended
so as to prevent the riffraf of foreign
countries from securing the rights and
privileges of citizenship. Universal suf-
irage. he declared. was illogical and un
fair, as we'll as dangerous to the state.
1T nade citizenship cheap and worthless
and left no incentive for people to I'M
prove their material conditions or seek
education. AS long worthless or it.
responsible persons had the same rights
and power in our body polite as men OF
learning, wealth and patriotism our sys-
tenn of government was wrong. and could
not endure for many generations unless
some measures were taken to check the
tide Of immigration that was coming into
the country.
Other wise and far-sighted foreign OBJ
servers OF our institutions have made the
same criticisms and predictions. and, AS
everybody Is aware. bills to restrict i'm
in Congress for many years. Various
features that have been proposed in them
have been adopted. but the advocates OF
an educational and property test have
never been able to secure its adoption.
Value OF immigration.
This country could not get along with
out the immigrants that are coming in
annually. Those who doubt the truth Of
that proposition should visit the coal
mines of Pennsylvania or an. other
states, or the iron mines of Lake S1
peror. the railway construction camps .:
other places where large numbers of men
are employed for manual labor.
Almost every name upon the pay rolls
has foreign sound and the great ma
jority, often 30 per cent OF the laborers,
are unable to speak the English lam
guage. But IL they were not available
| the work would not be done and the
development of this country would be
arrested because native Americans will
not do such hard labor. and those of a
foreign country, after they have been IN
the country a little while demand some
thing easier. Therefore, ii our railway
contractors. mine operators and other
employers of hard labor did not have the
annual supply OF immigrants FROM Italy.
Bohemia, Poland and other countries to
draw from, they could not carry on their
work.
The educational test as we'll as the
property tests. If applied, would shut
out this useful class, and those VINO
are most familiar with the sources from
which the immigrants come have always
argued that the educational test would
shut out the very best classes-the
young men FROM the rural districts. from
the farms and the mountains, who have
| never been to school, but are honest.
industrious and temperate-and would let
in the scum of the cities who have had
enough schooling to read and write, and
at the same time have learned many
vices.
Improved Conditions Noted.
The new naturalization law. which has
been in operation since September. 1907,
has produced, with other results, a
marked Improvement in the character.
both moral and political. Of foregn-born
citizenship The Judges of several of the
courts have referred to this fact I'm terms
OF commenda ton. Formerly, any court
having a clerk, a seal and common-law
Jurisdiction could bestow citizenship
upon any aliens in its Judgment. In
some states even the police courts and
probate courts engaged in that work. AS
was entirely natural under such circum-
stances, especially with petitioners OF
questionable antecedepts or such as were
efficient in the qualifications to become
good citizens resort was had TO the low
er courts where the press Of other bust
ness and the informally OF the proce-
dure gave assurance that they would be
able to slip through any examination
that might be made, II not to escape ex-
animation altogether. and thus secure
rights which might be denied TO them
! in the higher courts.
| This recourse is denied to them by the
provisions In the new law, which excludes
| from such authority those courts which
are without Jurisdiction in cases in
volying one thousand dollars or more.
Change in Election Tactics.
| Another very practical reform that has
been accomplished by the new law is the
removal of the temptation offered TO po-
litical managers to secure votes at the
| last moment before an election by rushing
through a. large number of candidates for
citizenship under conditions that re-
| Quire speedy action, and. therefore, ex-
] ciude anything like a careful inquiry into
| their qualifications This has been
4 cha nRed by the new act. No man now
/ may be naturaiizcd until the expiration
/ OF ninety days after he has filed his Pc
| tition for naturalization During that in
teryal an examination. both of such ap-
! plicant and the witnesses he offers.
/ il made by the government officers, who
report the results In open court at the
| hearings OF such petitions :
| There is an additional pTeca uttonary
measure in the new law that no court
shall issue a certificate within thirty
| days prior to general election. II.
therefore. a ward heller desires to secure
votes by having aliens naturalized he can
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