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Show WORKS BOTH WAYS. The liberal treatment of immigrants coming to this country from all over the world has been proverbial. pro-verbial. The favors shown continue at the present time. It now appears, however, how-ever, that we have gone too far in the matter of bestowing rights upon such immigrants and that it will be necessary neces-sary to alter our laws. Cases have arisen in Nebraska which 6how the necessity ne-cessity for a right about face at once. In the Antelope state and in some of the other commonwealths foreigners are allowed to vote after taking out their first naners and also to take up government govern-ment land. This was upon the supposition supposi-tion that all such favored individuals would voluntarily become full-fledged American citizens. There have never been any very violent objections to this course since the development of the west began at the close of the struggle between the states-It states-It is different now. . There are a large number of "first paper" citizens of Nebraska who are accorded the same rights and privileges as other citizens and take part in all elections, who claim exemption, but would answer the ground that they are enemy aliens, and the claims of these subjects of the kaiser will doubtless be allowed on the ground that they have not completed their naturalization and canuot do so while the war lasts. If they were Americans at heart they would not claim exemption but would answer the call of the president without the least hesitancy. As the matter stands, they are American citizens when election day rolls around, but subjects of the kaiser when they are notified to appear and show cause why they should not be drafted into the army of the United States. This is one of the peculiar situations sit-uations arising from the war, and Ne-braskans Ne-braskans are seeking means to deprive these German subjects of tho right to vote. Next Monday, unless President Wilson Wil-son 'intervenes, Fred C. Miller, another "first paper" citizen, will become mayor of Michigan City, Indiana, the federal judge in that district having declared himself powerless to interfere, although he criticized the voters of that city for electing a man who was not a citizen. This is one of the bad effects of angling for the vote of foreign-born citizens, a practice that will come to a full stop during the war, at least so far as the Germans are concerned. While we are engaged in this titanic struggle none but Americans should be put on guard. |