Evening Republican, Volume 19, Number 230, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 28 September 1915 — Page 2

the bureau of naturalization of the department of labor one of the greatest, most extensive and potential pieces of constructive administrative work has been gofgg&g ing on for almost a decade without attracting any particular ati&%oLifiLf>JrJn tention on the part of the general * public. This work has its foundation in the very vitals of the natioifal fabric and consists in the work of making citizens out 1 of the raw material of the resident foreigner who has been coming to this country from all of the nations of Europe ever since its discovery, and In vast and increasing numbers during the past three generations. The making of a citizen, in so far as the requirements of the law are concerned, is no difficult matter, but to make a citizen in spirit, sympathy, and loyalty, one imbued with all of the essentials of love of country, is a vastly different matter. For over a century the nation quietly and persistently slept upon this most important duty and permitted anyone, even the most unscrupulous, to -violate the naturalization laws and to add hundreds of thousands annually to the enjoyment of the privileges of the franchise, the holding of office, ands all of the other rights, held in ancient Rome to be sacred to the natural-born citizen. Congress, however, was aroused by the report of the commissioners of naturalization, appointed by the president, and on June 29. 1906, passed the current naturalization law. By this law, all of the courts, both state and federal, and the officials,of these courts, in their ministerial relationship, were placed under the supervision of the United States government. This administrative authority rests with the bureau of naturalization of the department of labor. With the creation Of this federal control, all of the lawlessness ceased, except in sporadic cases which arise because of the ignorance of some particular candidate for citizenship, his inborn fear of the government and the law, which make him the prey of the unprincipled, willing to win a few dollars by quick rather than honest methods. 1 Almost two and one-half million foreigners have asked for citizenship during the first eight and three-fourths years of federal supervision of the naturalization law. Almost one and three-quarters million of these have declared their intention, or taken - out their first papers! over three-quarters of a million have asked for final papers, and, of these, about 650,000 have been admitted to citizenship during that time. During the same time, there have been upwards of 85,000 foreigners who have been refused admission to citizenship. Over one-half of these have been denied because of mental and moral unfitness. The bureau has kept a close supervision over this phase of its work and as early as 1907. through its activities, the public mind was directed to the necessity for providing some means to enable these unfortunate candidates from the vast foreign populace not only to accomplish the act of admission to citizenship, but to equip them better to carry on the daily fight for their livelihood. For it is among these that the fight for their existence is carried on under the most adverse circumstances. While the above figures indicate a large number among the foreign element of this country coming forward for citizenship, the number does not appear relatively very large when it is known that in 1910 there were nearly 14,000.000 foreigners in this country, that of this number 9.000.000 were not citizens, and that the foreign body has been increased nearly 1.000,000 annually since then. By far the larger portion of the foreign residents of this country have retained their allegiance to the sovereignty of their birth. Recent reports in the public press have shown many of these are ready to respond to the behest of these sovereignties. It is well known that large numbers returned immediately upon the call of the country of their nativity, leaving the ties, personal, family, industrial, and others which have grown up in this country, for the stronger call of allegiance to the foreign sovereignty. This was the case prior to the great war of Europe, in the lesser wars among the Balkan states. Many have gone back to the old countries who have declared their intention. Some of these afterwards returned to this country and presented themselves before the courts of citizenship for admission. Judges of the naturalization courts have held that such absence from this country in the armies and fighting under their native allegiance broke the continuity of residence for 'naturalization purposes, and denied their applications. Among the approximately 14,000,000 foreign alien residents, 1,650,361 are classed as illiterate. These illiterates are the natural 'prey of the designing and scheming foreigners and natives, as well, .at every turn. They compel them to pay tribute, both in cash and blood, for every service both real and imagined, and in the gratification of their desires, however unscrupulous or unnatural. For years this conditions has been studied by tho bureau of naturalization in its application to

THE MAKING OF A CITIZEN

the .administration of the naturalization law. It is safe to state that although 85,000 foreigners have been refused citizenship because of mental and moral unfitness, at' least that many have been admitted to citizenship, in spite of these deficiencies, during the period of federal supervision. The courts have been reluctant to refuse citizenship to a candidate, even though he be ignorant of our institutions or of the privileges conferred upon him. Especially is this so where there are no facilities offered by the cities and towns where the petitioners live for overcoming these defects. In many places the public schools have, under the inspiration of the bureau of naturalization, opened their doors to the foreigner and have taught him the duties of American citizenship and, in these places, the courts have readily responded to the new order of things and refused citizenship unless the could come up to the higher standard which has been brought about by the federal supervision. This system the bureau has tried out tor years and with success in various localities throughout the country. There - is scarcely a state in the whole country that does not now have citizenship classes carried on either by the public schools or under the direction of private agencies. In many localities where there are hundreds, and indeed thousands, of citizens admitted annually, mo cognizance had been given this important proceeding by the general public, municipal officialdom, public school or other authorities until brought to their attention by the representatives of the bureau of naturalization. This ivas so evident that the bureau, through its officers, brought to the attention of the mayor of the city of Philadelphia, last winter, the fact that about 4,000 petitions for naturalization would be heard during the spring months and, as a result of this, approximately 5.500 new citizens would be made at that time in the persons of the candidates and their wives and children, born abroad. This resulted in the first reception extended by any municipality in the United States to its citizens of foreign birth. . • . This reception was but one of the activities of the bureau of naturalization to bring to the attention of the entire nation this most vital activity of citizenship. In the press of the day preceding the reception, there was published throughout the United States announcement of the nationwide movement for the education of the resident alien body through the candidates for citizenship. Heretofore the activities of the schools have been directed almost wholly to the candidate for final papers, w r hile the foreigner possessing his first papers, or who has just declared his intention to become a citizen at some future time, has been largely neglected. The bureau has recognized, however, that there has been a constant and steady, though silent, appeal coming annually from the hearts of hundreds of thousands of foreigners holding first papers, for relief, help, and assistance to the attainment of their hopes and desires in this country. The law permits an alien to declare his intention who is an illiterate. In from two years to five he is eligible to petition for naturalization. During that period,-while the United States holds the candidate to be on probation, it has done nothing heretofore to help his claim except in a very meager way. The bureau of naturalization has been the only governmental agency which has extended to him the helping hand. It has now arranged and perfected plans for the help-ing-hand to be extended to the nearly half a million foreigners who each year ask for citizenship. During the last year over 335.0Q0 foreigners declared their intention and petitioned for naturalization. This is the high-water mark since federal supervision. The federal census records for the United States show that the foreign popula-

THE EVENING REPUBLICAN, RENSSELAER, IND.

of the country there have been more candidates admitted to citizenship in given localities than is represented by the entire number of registered voters. In many places they represent a majority of those of voting age. A goodly percentage of the candidates for first papers come from the early arriving immigrants. Many who are admitted to citizenship are unable to inscribe their names in the English language but do so in foreign characters unintelligible to the American born. Many who are admitted to citizenship have only the most meager ability to speak our tongue and have but slight ability to comprehend it.

Some of the school authorities have agreed to furnish descriptive matter printed in various tongues for further facilitating the foreigner in the selection of a school. Where the conditions justify it, school authorities have signified their willingness not only, to open the night schools for foreigners, but special day schools for the foreigners whose vocations require tiieiEL^JtQ—Jwork during the night. The bureau expects to prevail Upon many of the school authorities to open schools for the education of the foreigners ivhere none have been established.

As illustrative of the enthusiasm with which the co-operation of the school authorities is being offered, one superintendent of schools in one of the great metropolitan centers has stated: “You will find 4he board of education and school officials ready to do everything within their power to make this splendid movement, authorized by your bureau, a success in this community, and we assure you in advance that we will be very glad to co-operate with your field officers to the limit of our ability. We are enthusiastic over the plan which you propose and hope that the work that will be done in this city the coming year will be such as to meet with your hearty approval."

Others, expressive of a like interest, have been received. All have agreed to give their heartiest endeavors towards the realization of the desires of the bureau of naturalization and to get the chambers of commerce and other civic organizations and the press behind the movement locally so as to arouse public sentiment and start the wheels into operation to, secure the appropriation of the necessary funds for opening the public schools or extending their activities where they have been open to foreigners. Others have volunteered to give to the bureau of naturalization the information it desires so as to enable it to show annually the number of foreigners responding to the appeals of the bureau and the school authorities to attend the public schools: The number of illiterates; the number who have entered the pub lie schools before taking out their first papers; the number who are naturalized citizens before entering upon the public schools; the number of males; the number of females; those having ability only to, speak their native tongue; those able to read in their native language; those.able to write their native language; and such other information as will enable the bureau to picture graphically the practical results in the annua! reports of the bureau of naturalization and the department of labor and other channels of publicity.

•Individn&ls interested in social work, patriotic and other public activities have also most encouragingly expressed their willingness to co-op-erate towards the advancement of the work of the bureau in every possible way.

TRIBUTE TO A SPORTSMAN.

“Are there apy fish Jn this stream?” “There was yesterday,” replied the country boy.- •‘Bat since you've been walkin' up an* down with that fancy fishin’ outfit I should be Burprtoe4 if they had all Jumped fur the river an’ hid.**

tion is many times greater than the number who come forward for citizenship. In many \ states the proportion of candidates for citizen- | ship to the entire forI eign-born white populaI tion is at the lowest posI Bible ebb. In no state [ does it exceed 50 per 'I cent, while in some ' states it is as low as *2 per cent. This is true of the number of foreigners who take out their first papers and those who become citizens. In some states there are more foreigners living outside of the large cities than in them, and yet the largest number of candidates for citizenship are found among those living in the cities. In many parts

Folk We Touch In Passing

By Julia Chandler Manz

THE PRICE When The Wife found out about The Other Woman, The Man made no attempt at denial. “Love,” he told her, “does not come at our volition. I cannot help it. I did not seek this thing that has come to me and I cahnot lay it aside.” Whereupon The Wife voiced the misery of her heart; made gn efTort to revive the affection which she was sure had been hers in an earlier year, and at last, seeing that her appeal was in vain, she spoke of honor. “Honor!" exclaimed The Man in a wondering tone. “I do not know where honor should begin or leave off, my dear. You see, our iparriage was all a mistake. From playmates in childhood we drifted into comradeship in youth, and finally went on, just drifting pleasantly along to the altar. All of which might have been well enough had I never awakened. But I have awakened. I know the difference now between love and a pleasant affection, and to my mind our union has become but a desecration of marriage." “What are you going to do?” questioned The Wife, in .that quiet way she has when the knife in her heart is turning slowly. “There is but one thing TO DO,” answered The Man. “And that?” she asked. “Why,” he said, “we must end this farce which you and I call marriage.” And as he spoke a peal of childish laughter rang through the house, sending a spasm of pain across The Wife’s

“Love," He Told Her, "Does Not Come at Our Volition."

features —sheering the words The Man had spoken as she could never have done. * Love for The Other Woman coursed through The Man’s veins like a mad thing. There were moments when he was alone that he was haunted by the laughter of the Boy Person in his home, but when he was with the object of his heart’s desire he quit* lost it from his consciousness. Time came when The Wife seldom saw The Man, and finally she made up her mind that she would go to see The Other Woman, taking the Boy Person with her. The Other Woman’s candor might have disarmed The Wife had it not been for the Boy Person’s presence in the room, for the woman loved told the woman unloved that she knew her errand; knew the terrible hurt she had brought her; declared her own suffering through it, frilt ended with the same assurance that The Man had giver.—the frank assertion that the thing which possessed her was bigger than her will and that she had no power to dispel the force of love. “But whht are you going to do?” asked The Wife again. '‘We are going away,” came the frank reply. Whereupon The Wife assured The Other Woman that she could not hope to build happiness on another’s misery; that she could not hope to forget the small Boy Person whose laughter was even then lßce music in her ear; that the love she cherished for The Man would eventually prove a

curse to them both, and when her auditor answered her nothing The Wife told her that when she went away with The Man it would be to live an ostracized life of shame all her days. “For,” said The Wife, ‘1 will never divorce him.”

Despite the fact that The Wife kept her word, and that society frowned its - disapproval on the action of The Man tnd The Other Woman, their love was sufficient unto them, and little by little The Other Woman forgot the curse which The Wife had promised should follow her to the end of her days, and when a little girl came to her home she determined to put it out of her mind forever. And time came when the folk in the distant city to which The Man had taken The Other Woman to live were more charitably disposed toward them, and some there were who even felt that The Wife was hard and vindictive, and extended their sympathy in courteous action to The Man and The Other Woman. But once in a while the words of The Wife knocked sharply at The Other Woman’s conscience, and then she was afraid, and once in awhile The Little Maid made her think of the Boy Person and his wondrous laughter, whereupon she was still more afraid. But always The Man cherished her, and with his tenderness dispelled the shadows of the past.

The \ years slipped gently by, and The Little Maid became a woman

grown. The Other Woman often won* dered if her daughter knew the truth, but the girl gave no sign, and so The Other Woman trusted to fate and was silent. And the little household was a vej-y happy one. Then, on a day, The Little Maid was missing. The Man and The Other Woman had never dreamed that harm could befall the quiet, gentle presence in their home. Fdr a little while they knew not where to seek her, and when at last they learned that she had gone away with a married man who was reputed the most disreputable roue of the town, they followed quick- ' ly to bring her home. But when The Other Woman found The Little Maid in her shame" the girl met her agonized appeal quite coolly. “Love does not come at our volition. I cannot help it. I did not seek this thing that has come to me and I had no power to avoid it YOU should understand.” The girl spoke the words "her father had said to the mother of the small Boy Person; the words The Other Woman had told The Wife and the sentence with which she concluded her statement was illuminating to The Other Woman, who stood watching the beautiful daughter to whom she had given life —and her inheritance — and as she watched the veil was lifted from her eyes aud she saw that the thing which The Wife had told her in that far gone yesteryear was the inevitable truth, and that the present was the price which The Wife h*4i promised she should par.