The labor world. [volume] (Duluth, Minn.) 1896-current, 1919-04-26
Inherent RIGHTS
BY Henry A. McAnarney.

Thomas Jefferson had 4 broad vision
wrote:
elementary education is an inher-
ent right Of all in a democracy" The
force Of this declaration has been lost
for 4 great many years.
During the: time that emigration to
this country was at it's highest not
much attention was given to the in
herent right OF the prospective citi-
zen even to the most elementary forms
Of reading and writing in the English
language.
Foreigners then settled in the coun-
try, made their living. reared families,
prospered. At the end Of Ave years
residence often many thousands were
piloted to q court house, asked a few
simple questions, foreswore their al
legiance to their former rulers. were
given naturalization papers and told
they were citizens. Knowing no more
Of their obligations and their rights as
citizens Of this country than grazing
sheep.
The various intelligence divisions Of
the departments Of the. government
when they began taking stock OF our
goods upon the nations entry into the
great war learned some amazing
things.
Not the least was the great number
OF foreigners, both enemy and neutral
aliens, who had never even cons:d-
cred the. question Of citizenship.
And then draft boards everywhere.
in their examinations OF draftees,
learned of the lack Of English among
the hordes Of young foreigners who
had been summoned to appear for
classification in the service.
These conditions have caused an
awakening; the country is alive to the
situation; the nation knows its rela-
ton to the foreign-born. The people
have called upon the government to
act, and congress has enacted law
giving authority to the Bureau Of
naturalization of the United States
Department Of Labor to make provi-
sion for the elementary education in
English and citizenship Of candidates
for naturalization.
Text books have been compiled from
material submitted by the state public
schools to the Bureau Of Naturaliza-
ton, and arrangements have been
made with more than 2,100 con1muni-
tlidates tor citizenship.
Every facility is offered the foreign
born in most Of these schools to ae4i1
Of the inherent right acknowledged BY
Jefferson. The classes conform to the
convenience Of the students. Day
workers are provided for in the. eve
ming and day schools have classes for
night workers.
But the bureaus efforts do not end
with opening the schools and giving
the students text books and certificates
Of graduation in collaboration with the
school officials. Its organization of
the country will enable every foreign
born resident to know the means that
are within his reach to obtain a lib
eral English education, if he wishes: it.
And this is the greatest task OF all,
a task which imposes upon every citi-
zen a duty to help.
The foreisn-born residents who
! know nothing OF what the country is
doing for their benefit should be put
in touch with those schools which
! have arranged classes to suit tho in
dustrial calling of the student; they
should be encouraged to have faith in
our people,: they should be impressed
with the advantages that citizenship
| brings and the obligations it implies
| These fall within the circle Of the as"
! sociates Of the. foreign-born, Of the
| men and women who work with them
! and live with them.
They are a. few Of the small and i'm
portant services that 60 to make this
! the form Of government which most
| satisfies the hopes Of mankind as well
! as the most compact and efficient in.
dustrial organization on earth.
And, besides, their performance
helps people to gain their inherent