Rocky Ford enterprise., 1915-09-17

tion in the very vitals of the national fabric an
consists in the work of making citizens out of tn
raw material of the resident foreigner who ha
been coming to this country from all of the nation
OF Europe ever since its discovery, and in vast
increasing numbers during the past three gener
tions.
The making of citizen. in SO far the requir
ments OF the law concerned, is no difficult ma
ter, but to make citizen in spirit sympathy an
loyalty. one imbued with all of the essentials
love or country, is vastly different matter. Fc
over century the nation quietly and PERSISTENT
slept upon this most important duty and De
mitted anyone, even the most unscrupuous to vii
late the naturalization laws and to add hundred
OF thousands annually to the enjoyment of the pri
ileges of the franchise. the holding of Office an
all OF the other rights held in ancient Rome
be sacred to the naturalborn citizen.
congress. however was aroused by the report
OF the commissioners of naturalization. appointed
by the president, and on June 20. 1906 passed the
current naturalization law. BY this law, all of the
courts, both state and federal, and the officials of
these courts in their ministerial relationship were
placed under the supervision of the United States
government. This administrative authority rests
with the bureau of naturalization of the depart
ment of labor
With the creation of this federal control, all
OF the lawessness ceased. except in sporadic
cases which arise because of the ignorance of
some particular candidate for citizenship his in
born fear of the government and the law, which
make him the prey of the unprincipled, willing
to win few dollars by quick rather than honest
methods.
Almost two and one-half million foreigners have
asked for citizenship during the first eight and
threefourths years of federal supervision of the
naturalization law. Almost one and threequarters
million of these have declared their intention or
taken out their first papers. Something over
threequarters of a million have asked for final
papers, and, of these about 650,000 have been ad-
mtted to citizenship during that time.
During the same time, there have been upwards
of $1,000 foreigners who have been refused ad-
mission to citizenship. Over one-half of these
have been denied because of mental and moral
unftness. The bureau has kept close supervi-
sion over this phase of its work and as early as
1907, through its activities the public mind
directed to the necessity for providing some
means to enable these unfortunate candidates
from the vast foreign populace not only to ac-
complish the act of admission to citizenship, but
to equip them better to carry the daily fight
for their livelihood. For it is among these that
the fight for their existence is carried on under
the most adverse circumstances.
While the above figures indicate a large num-
Der among the foreign element of this country
coming forward for citizenship, the number does
not appear relatively very large when it is known
THAI in 1910 there nearly IA 100000 foreign
ers in this country, that of this number 100000
were not citizens and that the foreign body has
been increased nearly 100000 annually since
then. BY far the larger portion of the foreign
residents of this country have retained their al
legiance to the sovereignty of their birth. Re-
cent reports in the public press have shown
many of these are ready to respond to the be-
ne5t VI these so'e'elBHpeS II Is well knOWD tnat
large numbers returned Immediately upon the
call OF the country of their nativity, leaving the
ties, personal, family, industrial, and others
which have grown up in this country. for the
stronger call of allegiance to the foreign SOW
erelgnty This was the case prior to the great
war of Europe. IN the lesser wars among the Bal
kan states. Many have gone back to the old
countries who have declared their intention. Some
of these afterwards returned to this country and
presented themselves before the courts of citizen
ship for admission. Judges of the naturalization
courts have held that such absence from this
country in the armies and fighting under their
native allegiance broke the continuity of resi-
dence for naturalization purposes. and denied
their applications
Among the approximately 100000 foreign
allen residents lG50,36t classed as illiterate
These illiterates the natural prey of the de-
signing and scheming foreigners and natives.
well, at every turn. They compel them to pay
tribute, both in cash and blood, for every service
both real and imagined, and in the qualification
Of their desires, however unscrupulous or un.
natural.
For years this conditions has been studied by
the bureau of naturalization in Its application to