Rensselaer Semi-Weekly Republican, Volume 24, Number 7, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 24 September 1901 — Thinks Important Legislation will Result. [ARTICLE]

Thinks Important Legislation will Result.

Federal Judge John H. Baker believes that President McKinley’s death will produce the most important results. He says: “While it is probable that the president’s death will have a depressing effect on business, yet I think its most important effect will be on legislation by the state government, and possibly congress. It is probable that important changes will be made for the purpose of regulating licentious speaking and journalism and curbing the violent utterances of both speakers and newspapers. It is now realized how serious are the disturbances caused by the flaming articles in yellow journals, which were hitherto considered harmless.

“The immigration laws will also be revised and a strong sentiment created for the reform of the naturalization laws, though this will be a tedious process. The law permitting a foreigner to vote after one year’s residence in the United States and six months in Indiana is a part of the state constitution and can be changed only with great labor. The laws, however, can be revised by congress so that some method can be secured to ascertain whether or not a foreigner is in sympathy with our government before he is permitted to becuire a citizen and the knowledge of these tests might discourage wholesale immigration.