The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1918-03-30
ALIEN ENEMY VOTE.
CONGRESSMAN FLOOD OF VIR-
GINA PRESENTS ISSUE TO
STIR THE NATION.
Ten States Involved and German Sub.
jects in u. S. Now Able to Vote I'm
Large Numbers.

Washington, March 23.-Most peo-
pie in the United States have been
blssfully unaware of the fact that un-
der the laws Of various States hum
dreds of thousands of persons. if not
millions, have been voting at federal
and other elections who are not, Amer.
lean citizens.
still larger is the proportion of the
public which has been uninformed of
the fact that in States where aliens
are permitted to vote, there is no law
TO prevent them from exercising the
privilege even if they are alien
enemies-that is, aliens from coun.
tries with which the United States is
at war. To the average American it
seems inconceivable that this should
be so. but it is the truth.
The general lack of knowledge on
this important subject has been con-
vincingly demonstrated by the sur
prise, and in some cases incredulity,
expressed in the comment here and
elsewhere on bill recently introduc-
ed by Representative II. d. Flood, of
Virginia, chairman Of the house COM
mittee on foreign affairs. as follows:
ITO prevent alien enemies from
voting for electors for president and
vice president or United States sena-
tors or members of the house of rep
resentatives.
BE 1t enacted by the senate and
house Of representatives of the Unit
ed States Of America in congress as
sembled, That no person not a citizen
of the United States shall be permitted
to vote at any election to be held for
president and vice president, or sena-
tors Of the United States, or members
Of the house OF representatives, who
is subject of a State or nation with
which the United States is at war;"
This bin is one of the leading meas
ures in far reaching importance now
before congress. More and more is
going to be heard about it. How the
passage of some such bill can be pre-
vented is hard to see; for the Ameri-
can people cannot be disposed to toll
crate the control Of the balance of
power in any State (and therefore
possibly in cOngress) by voters who
are subjects of our deadly foes in this
war.
There are ten States in this Union
wherein aliens who have formally de-
clared their intention of becoming
naturalized citizens are allowed to
vote just as if they had actually be-
come citizens. These States are Ala
bama, Arkansas, Indiana, Kansas,
Michigan, Missouri, Nebraska, Ore
gon, South Dakota. and Texas.
And i'm Pennsylvania, although, an
alien enemy is not allowed to vote, q
person Of alien origin may vote after
he has resided in the State one year
and in the precinct two months, if he
has been a citizen Of the United States
one month! That is certainly an in
teresting anti-climax. OF course, the
Flood bill would not change the sit
uation in Pennsylvania. If the re-
quirement Of American citizenship is
| observed, 1t stands to reason that i,
should be left to the States individual
ly to decide the details; but surely i,
is right that in time of war, at least
subjects of enemy countries should be
Kept from participating in our own
elections. To protect the electorate
permanently in this limited, but vita
respect Of the citizenship requirement
would seem reasonable. However, the
Flood bill is by it's stated terms q
war measure.
Why should not the ten States them
selves correct this glaring blunder OF
permitting alien enemies to vote ii
they have been declarants Of inten-
ton? The ten States should do So
obviously; but If they do not, or il any
OF them does not, should the country
tolerate the participation Of any alien
enemies in the congressional elections
next fall and the primaries preceding ?
A fact Of decided pertinence to this
phase Of the problem is that in all of
the ten States mentioned, and in
Pennsylvania also. the legislatures do
not meet i'm regular session until next
year. In all the eleven States except
Alabama the regular sessions are bien-
NAL. except In Alabama, where they
are quadrennial-and this is an off
year So that unless the governor
chose to call an extra session for the
purpose of amending the law as to