Norwich bulletin., 1922-05-16
WASHINGTON AFFAIRS
fSneolal to The Bulletin. ]

Il
Washington to see their senators and
members of congress almost the first
thing they said was I'VE want you to
support the Rogers citizenship bill 1t
was the main topic of their talk to the /
Connecticut congressional delegation
when it received the ladies' in the COM
mittee room of Senator Mclean. and
where Senator Brandegee and the rep-
resentatiyes were gathered to meet
them. And now the Rogers bill is due
for early attention at tho hands Of con-
,gress the members Of that body are sit |
ting UP and taking keen notice OF its
terms. Tha bill is framed by Congress-
man John Jacob Rogers Of MasEachu-
sets, ranking member Of the house COM
mittee on foreign affairs and SO in a po-
sition to be familiar with the needs Of a
change in the existing laws governing
the citizenship of married women.
The Rogers bfll came into being as a
result Of the passing by congress and
the acceptance by the country Of the
constitution amendment giving suffrage
to women,
"4The citizenship Of q married woman
under our laws said MIR. Rogers has
always depended on the citizenship of
her husband. That is, an American
q
American citizenship and could regain it
only by being naturalized; conversely,
a foreign woman marrying an American
citizen automatically acquired American
citizenship despite the fact that perhaps
she had never set foot on American soil
or could speak a word Of that language.
Something could be said in favor of
such law until the suffrage amendment
was adopted. But that amendment
granted full OWL equality to women. AZ
ter its adoption there seems to be no
| adequate reason to make a married wo-
mans citizenship hang on that Of her hus-
band. The bill proposes to make men
and women exactly equal before a court
| Of naturalization. The bill says an
American woman shall not be robbed of
| her citizenship by marrying a foreigner
| and similarly it Is now absurd that a
| foreign illiterate woman should automat-
ically become an American citizen and
entitled to the franchise the moment she
lands in this country, merely because
her husband has the right Of citizen
| ship. The Independent citizenship of
married women is clearly in step with
the trend of the times"
The Rogers bill permits woman to
resign her citizenship and take on that
Of her husband and it provides in detail
for naturalization and other necessary
steps both for aliens and American born
women regarding their citizenship after
marriage to men of another country
than their own.
The so-calIed discussion Of the tariff
goes on without let-up, but it is justly
| styled a 'so-called discussion for not
one-third of the time of debate is con-
fined to that measure, democrats head
in off the topic by wanderings into 9TH
er fields, and thus delaying the passage
Of the bill Democrats cry out in pro
test I'VE are not. conducting a hlfbus
ter" but all the same the windy wordy
|; wandering talk from that side of the
chamber is holding up the bill. For in.
stance, Senator King will take the fooi
and talk for few minutes on the sub
iect before the senate, then drift off in
to some political assault on the princi
pals and policies of the republicans
/ when he wants to go to luncheon. MI
: Caraway, Mr.. Harrison, or some othe
? democratic senator noted for oratorica
r endurance, relieves him by an interrup
1 ton, whereupon Mr.. King yields thu
A floor, and vanishes through the cloak
room door, and the filibuster goes o.
= till the second man wants to quit, whe
a third stands ready to repeat the sam
tactics. Once in a while Chairman Nc
: Cunber bristles with Indignation an
: interrupts long enough to chide the dem
9 ocrats for their dilatory tactics, where
g upon they disclairn any such intention
i and the show begins all over again. A
y this rate the tariff will not be passe
till fall, when the election is on the heel
Of he party in power. That is the ev
! dent intention of the democratic lead
y publican party as result Of tardy tart
e action.
Vice President Coolidge this wee
II made his bow in a new role. He al
: peared at a dinner given by Senate
/ Page Of Vermont, not only as a que.
n of honor but as "the boy mascot fl
Y Senator Pages other guests were sci
ators or members Of the house who,
10 aes verged on or had passed the fol
score years mark, and who made tt
= vice president seem but youngster
= their midst. The vice president h:
II seen but 4s birthdays, and can near
'e cut in half the festive dates Of the 9th,
le men present. Senator Page, as hos
L counted 10 as did Senator Dillingham;
Vermont and Nelson of Minnesota; Coz
ID gressmen Green Of Massachusetts, al
p Stedman Of North Carolina came ne,
70 with 81 years to their credit, but we
=. outstripped by Uncle Joe Cannon wi
his record of having turned the So
= milestone this week.
a. Senator Walsh has introduced a b
"a in the senate legalizing the holding
~ boxing and wrestling matches in Il
- District Of Columbia. Senator Wak
= lauhed and remarked the "intellectu
" sparring matches in the senate are reg
n lated by rules-and the referee is t.
vice president, and I believe the sar
be principle should be applied to physic
ey sparring matches outside. 1t would
It some Of the senators and members
id congress, as well as the general pub
od have an opportunity under legal sar
- ton to let off some of their steam
=. the ring" Mr.. Walsh advocates a be
% ing commissioner with term of 70
years and that licenses should be isst1
for sparring matches and his bill /
cludes what he believes to be suital
ns and sufficient restrictions.
ay President Harding seems to be firm
No bonus without provision for mea
to meet it." The question is a pre-,
IA tough nut for congress to crack, a
a. somebody recently said the desire to ;
-'' it out Of the way one way or the oti
recalled the story of the old lady, W
had a husband who had long been "a
he ing "How's Silas . asked a neigh
ng for the hundredth time. ''Oh, he's Hbt
all the same" she answers. Then after
short pause added thoughtfully 81
wish Silas would get well-or sor
thing" And the sentiment here is pr
ty well expressed by that 'or sor
me thing"