New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1914-04-06
The CITIZENSHIP OF WIVES.
The Case Of the American Who Mar
ries an Alien Is Discussed.

To tie Editor OF The Tribune.
Sir: Referring TO the fears entertalned
by several suffrage leaders regarding
their loss Of citizenship and right TO vote
so long as their husbands fail TO become
naturalized," I beg 10 say that their
fears are entirely groundless, and that
when the right Of suffrage is given TO
women, which I hope will be very soon
they will be entitled TO vote regardless Of
the citizenship Of their husbands
The question of the citizenship of 4
woman vino is an American citizen Wheh
married to a foreigner has been consiJ-
cred many times by the Judicial and OK
ecutiye departments.
In 1862 Attorney General Bates ruied
that a woman born in the United States
who married Spanish subject ana theh
removed with her husband to Spain
where she lived until his death, was not
Invested of American citizenship.
In 1877 Solicitor General Phillips decided
that the marriage Of an alien-born
woman 10 a naturalized citizen OF Inc
United States conferred on her the per-
manent status of American citizenship
defeasible only as in cases Of other per
sons, and that her subsequent marriage
with an alien did not affect this status
In 1893 the United States Circuit Court
of Louisiana held that a woman native
citizen OF Louisiana who married an ltSi'
ian subject was still a citizen OF the
United States after her husbands death
That eXpatriation by a woman can ohis
be affected by removal from this country,
and that in the absence of any act o.
Congress authorizing it there can be no
implied remuneration OF American citizen
ship by an American woman marrying an
alien"
This subject was discussed at length oy
Secretary Of State Fish in his instructions
to our ambassador in Paris in 1871;
by the law of England and the Unlteu
States an alien woman on her marriage
with a subject or citizen merges her ma
tionallty in that OF her husband. But ths
converse has never been established a.
the law of the United States, and only os
an act OF Parliament passed May j.
1870 did il become British law that az
English woman lost her quality as a BTU
lSH SUBJECT py marty ms an aii~"'
"The Continental codes on the other
hand, enable a woman whose nationai'N
has been changed by marriage to resume
it when she becomes wldoY, on cond'-
ton. however, OF her returning TO the
country OF her origin
And again when he wrote 10 the Fresl-
dent in 1873. as follows
THE marriage of female citizen C.
the United States with a foreign subject
of country by whose laws marriage con-
fers citizenship upon the wife OF its SUB
iect. and her remordi TO and residence IN
the country OF her husbands citizenship
would divest her OF her native character
OF an American citizen
These views were. concurred in by Sec
rotary Blaine in 1890 and Acting Secretary
Uhl I'm 1895 when similar questions came
UP for their consideration.
Secretary Hay ruled In 1899 that dl'
vorce has the same effect as the death
Of the husband upon the citizenship Of the
woman
AS long, therefore, as these ladies con-
tinuc 70 reside In the United States they
need not fear that their citizenship viii
In any way be affected by the citizenship
OF their husbands. and to that extent at
least our laws "are not just sample OF
tho general law OF civil disabilities Of
women tho world over"
LOUIS LANDG.
New York. Apfu 1. lalA