Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1915-05-10
SYSTEMATIC TRAINING TO PREPARE
ALIEN FOR AMERICAN CITIZENSHIP

tk@ BOYS 20 keep the city clean and
their citizenship clean. 80 civ. them
q motive Tor life The proper training
81 fhe adopted citizens % this couu-
trF fs AZ once q labor % genuine use
fgissss and aifrulsn 90 them and one
% psbiir spirit and patriotism 20 the
community az large. o. iE believed by
those whe have given the subject close
study that the day viii come when g
wtit b. possible 90 establish q system
that viii operate with comparative
unif1TmifF throughout the United
States. a system that will teach that
the fundamental requirement % good
citiEenship - q sense % IN. moral OBJ
legation resting upon every citizen %
obey the laws a. well as a mental
conception % what those laws are.
such a plan % education "a e the
irf~utiun % thc bureau % naturaiixa-
tioa % perfect and launch. In the ac-
complement % this purpose. the
fruits % almost q decade o., federal
SapsrviEion % the naturalization iaW
~iti b. shown. This movement. al
though stupentouE IN its scope and
plpTrhenHivrncss. g. not being
.
tried out Co. various parts % the cour-
try under tho dirce; supervision % the
u1icera % the bureau % uaturaliza-
ton. and with the most gratifying re-
suits. For years the practice has pre-
vailed % Inducing candidates for cit
iErnship 90 attend the local public
schools 81 order 90 train them In the
res responsibilities % that citizenship
which they desire 20 assume. The can
fidat~s who have presented them
selves 90 the nstnTaiizirE court and
have been shown 20 lack an under
standing even % che teuets % our
form % government have been re-
fused eittr~nahip Until they have first
subjected themselves 60 the course %
study prescribed By the local school
authorities. These schools have mostly /
been conducted a. night schools. as
the students have come from the wage
raruinE masses. and ucrs thereby pre- .
ciudsf from attending ~ any other .
time. "a th~y have All been Ia the .
adgis period % life. u Was also inn /
practicable 20 expect them 20 attend I
th~ day courses which necessarily I
are devoted entirely % the training % /
ths iuvruiie mind The results accom-
piish~d have shown that the average
alien catering these schools possesses
a s,ronE. active and capable mind.
ready tu SEE assimilation % the know
ledge necessary 20 ~ him. not only
for the duties % citizenship. but bet
t~r 90 overcome the obstacles 90 the
means % livelihood.
M.ny Thousands. n no, hundreds %
thousands. are IN attendance upon the
uiEh' schools established IN the mu-
nieipaii'iss throughout the United
States. bat a limited investigation has
disclosed that among those Who thus
aftrud the uiEht schools only n very
snail percentage have sought the pri-
Viirses Of American citizenship In
o.e % ths principal cities during the
past year over 1900 aliens above che
aEr % IS years were enrolled in Its
In the same city approximate
y 5000 residents % foreign birth be-
zane citizens By naturalization during
ne same time. and o, these there was
priv a negligible number found IN the
-suks % those attending the night
schools. a further inquiry demon
strHtef tha, there was practically no
60 the candidates for cit
Es nship 20 attend these schools. a.
h curriculum there did no, include
ne course % training that would ~
hem 90 meet the requirements % the
az governing the admission % aliens
10 citizenship. While this condition o.
CONTINUED OF Pare Ssyerl 1