The Wrangell sentinel., 1922-05-04
Native Brotherhood Publishes a Letter
 Regarding Election

by request of the Alaska Native Brotherhood
 Wrangell. Alaska,
 May 2, 1922. Messrs. Churchill, Weber &Gunderson, Judges of Election,
 Wrangell Precinct,
 Wrangell, Alaska. Gentlemen
 As judges of the election on the 25th of April, you challenged the votes of esterWorthington, George Mason and William Jackson, and oth- CT Indian citizens of the town of Wrangell; you refused to permit lem to swear in their votes. Under the provisions of Section 401, Com piled Laws of Alaska, it was within our powers to challenge any vote which you believed did not qualify under the law. This same law pro vides that any vote so challenged may Je qualified by being sworn in, the oter taking upon himself full re possibility for the vote and the sworn affidavit. After this affidavit been sworn to, the vote shall be
 .d. Under date of March 2S, 4522, Attorney General John Rust gard in a letter to c. A. Bevans, cleo llon judge at Hoonah, says Under
 statute it seems that when the
 lsed oath is taken, the judges
 .Ion have no choice but to per
 -~n party to vote. This question -.s 50 decided by the Supreme Court .5wa in the case of Lane V. Mitch - Il al, 133 NV 3S1."
 As judges of election you demanded nat these Indian citizens secure ir certificates of citizenship" .e4ore you would permit them to vote. Of this certificate MT. Rustgard
 I want to call your attention
 lact that the certificate issued
 Chapter II, Laws of 1915, is
 certificate of citizenship, but
 .y.lma facie evidence of citizen l."
 IT. Beyans further asked, When .tIve gets a certificate of citizen
 Jes his wife automatically be-
 4 citizen?" To which MT.
 .r%i replied, You are advised
 certificate of citizenship un-
 law of 1915 DOES NOT
 : WIFE A CITIZEN ANY
 HAN IT MAKES THE HUS-
 A CITIZEN. It is only evil
 that a husband has become a
 n by virtue of the provision of n of the law of 1887 as -ded,' which law reads as fol-
 Every Indian born within the .ilorial limits of the United States, Q 1as voluntarily taken up within I limits his residence separate and ..art from any tribe of Indians Aeuein, and has adopted the habits Cl civilized life, is hereby declared to ge a citizen of the United States, and D ENTITLED TO ALL THE RIGHTS, PRIVILEGES AND IMMUNITIES OF oUCH CITIZENS, whether said h. dian has been or not by birth or oth- erwise, a member of any tribe of h. dians within the territorial limits of the United States, without in any manner impairing or otherwise af- fecting the right of any such Indian to tribal or other property" It has ben decided by the Court of Appeals that this statute applied to Alaska. Nagle V. United States, 191 Fed. Al. Section 406, Cmpiled Laws of Alas ha, provides that Any person who, Dy any means, shall hinder, delay, prevent or obstruct any other person rom QUALIFYING HIMSELF to vote or from lawfully voting at any cleo .ion herein provided for-shall be guilty of a crime and it further pro- vides that ''every officer of an elec- tion held hereunder who neglects to perform or violates any duty imposed upon him as such officer, or knowing ly does any unauthorized act with the intent to effect the election or the re- suit thereof-shall be guilty of a crime," and severe penalties are at tached for such violations
 It is plain to any one cognizant with the facts of the case that you did violate the provisions of both of these sections of the law and it leaves us no other recourse than to take this matter before the proper tribunals in order that justice might be meted and that the liberties, rights, privileges and immunities of any and all citizens shall not be wrongfully taken from any person without due process of law. As judges