The Telegraph-courier. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1888-1946, 1918-12-26
Uging the government TEST.

noes or the United states Naturallza-
tion Bureau and suggests that he wants
to be a citizen Of these great United
States he is told "Sign your name
there" If he suggests that he is will
ling to make mark after some one
else has signed the name he is advised
that the United States is not looking for
citizens who only make mark. The
United States want men and not con-
glomeration Of numbers or
"marks."
1T has been suggested that the city
Of Kenosha which has declared that in
the future it is going to be an Ameri-
can City for American Citizens insist on
the signing Of the name TO every appI-
cation for employment
It may be that it would work lit
tie hardship, that the big factories have
come to know men by numbers rather
than by names and that a lot of men
are good workers although they can not
write their names. If writing the name
10 to be made condition for citizenship
there is no reason why it must not be
made condition of employment. It
we are going to say "You must be a
citizen Of our country before you can
work side by side with the citizens of
our country and have the benefit Of
these citizens" there is no reason why
we should not go further and say "We
are goin to demand that you have edu-
cation enough to be a man and not q
make number on the pay roll"
1t may mean little but it suggests
much. 1t brings to the man who is not
able to write his name the necessity Of
getting into touch with the elementary
ideas Of education. Tt brings to him a
new dignity to know that it is not just
a number on q pay roll.
These men who have CROPPED along
for years without citizenship are going
to find themselves in a mighty small
minority in short time The boys
coming back from the army have earn
ed their citizenship and they are proud
of it. They know that it means some
thing and they are going to insist on
citizenship from others. These men
have also learned lot of things in the
army besides how to handle a gun.
They have learned the comradeship
of citizenship and that is going to
mean much to them. Men they have
left behind are going to be entirely out
Of touch with them.
Aliens are crowding the ports of
European cities clamoring for pass
ports to come to the land of "Prom-
ise." Thousands of these men are com
ing to Kenosha in the next five years.
Kenosha must have reception COM
mittee ready to receive Ehem. IT should
be composed of just one man and that
man should be the man who says for
the government "Sign your name on
the dotted line"
If it be exclusive to insist ON men
being citizens Kenosha ia going to be
exclusive. 1t is going to be city open
to the people of the world who want to
find a better home and better way
to live but at the same time it is go
ing to be one city in the nation which
is going to be thoroughly American.
IL wants its people to be citizens Of the
United States and it wants them to
have sufficient education to be able to
accept the duties and the responsible
ties Of citizenship.
The movement that has been started
in Kenosha has already found root in
Racine. GIVE employ only citizens of
the United States" signs have been dis
played in many places in that city and
the gospel of citizenship first is spread
ing from Kenosha to large industrial
communities all over the nation. Ke-
nosha can not take the backward-step.
Her leaders have pledged themselves
to this patriotic duty and it must be
carried through,
Men who insist that they prefer
an allegiance to some old world power
tc citizenship in the world s great
est nation must come to learn and learn
quickly that there no place for them
in Kenosha. We have no quarrel with
these people but we have no place for
them.