New-York tribune., 1918-07-07

statute (Which grants the ballot to
such a man after six months
residence in the state), that enemy
alien could have voted, on and after
September a, 1917, in the municipal
and state elections, and even in the
Federal elections.
Suppose that on September 4.
1917, there had been a municipal
election in indianapolis, at which
one OF the candidates for Mayor
had been a 'peace-at-any-price"
type OF pacifist and more or less
pro-German sympathizer; and
that at the Congressional election
IN November of the present year
one of the candidates were to
favor a compromise with Germany
"a "Peace Without Victory" Gu.
Prussian immigrant would have
voted for the pacifist candidate for
Mayor and he would also vote for
the weakened candidate for Con-
Gress. And in November, 1920. he
could vote for successor to SEN
ator Watson and for President Of
the United States-even though, at
that time, another sixteen months
would have to elapse before he
would be asked to renounce his al
legiance to the Kaiser and to swear
his undivided allegiance to the Re-
public.
Some Native Germans
Claimed Exemption
Could we imagine franchise law
more illogical and unreasonable, and
more lacking in self-respecting
Americanism than the law now in
force in Indiana and in those eight
other states? And is there any 9TH
er country in the world in which the
sacred right of the ballot is granted
to aliens, and even to enemy aliens,
upon such cheap terms? The aver
age, c'ear-tfhnking Am aricar, if he
had the chance Of putting such
coestion, would be tempted to ask
tie Vlce-President, most respectful
ly, whether he approves the lax and
un-American franchise law now in
force in his great and loyal state.
According to uncontradcted
statements in the newspapers, there
gre certain counties in Nebraska
where hundreds of such "American
GERMANS" have been voting in
the state, Congressional and Presi-
Dental elections for the past twenty
years, in spite Of the fact tl.at all
the while they were and still are
subjects of the Kaiser!
1t is also said that quite q num-
ber Of those very men recently Mad
the effrontery to claim exemption
from conscription on the ground
that they were not American citi-
zens, but were German subjects-as
indeed they still are. If the claim
of those Nebraska Germans was al
lowed on that score, then all Of
them ought at once to be interned
as enemy aliens. And, as some slight
return for the franchise privileges
which those subjects Of the Kaiser
have been exercising for all the
years during which they camouhaged
at our polls as American citizens, it
would be bit Of poetic justice if
such German "slackers" were now
compelled to join conscript army
of "men with the hoe" whose duty
it would be to raise food for our
brave allies.
Colonel Roosevelt. has rightfully
denounced "ffty-fifty allegiance;
but an immigrant who has filed
declaration of mere intention of
becoming citizen and has, all
these years, been such a poor Amer
lean as deliberately to neglect to
carry out that intention is not evan
a "ten per cent American"
The native American, proudly
using the words Of the great Apostle
to the Gentiles, can say, II was
free-born. And the naturalizcd
American-if, when he took the oath
of allegiance to the Republic, he sim
cerely became a hundred per cent
American"-can say with equal
pride, II bought my American cit
izenship at the price Of renouncing
all allegiance to my native land and
to my former sovereign"
But what shall we say of that
large class of men who have merely
declared their intention of becom-
ing American citizens, but have
never carried out that intention by
renouncing their former allegiance
and by swearing their undivided al
legiance to the Republic? Surely,
such men are still "aliens to the
household and family" of American
freemen; and, in the case of German