Show 4 TOO MUCH NATCRAUZiriOX 4 If the naturalization law had been as riatdly enforced by all of the Judges in the Territory since it i was or aized as it was by Judge Powers and n it has been and is by Judge Henderson the loyal element el-ement would carry the next election by a sweeping majority The law requires that the Court should become satisfied that the applicant for citizenship is attached at-tached to the Constitution of the United States and well disposed to the peace and happiness of the same The Judge is to become satisfied of this and he can only arrive at his decision by such questions as will indicate the condition of the applicants mind at the time of application Judge Power l in a decision which was published at the time took the broad ground that a man who is bound by the laws and regulations of an institution known to be in antagonism an-tagonism to the Constitution and laws of the Nation cannot make a good citizen This was a sensible view to take of the matter and one wbich every reasonable and fairminded American citizen will indorse Judge Henderson has acted upon the same principle and in doing do-ing so has won golden opinions and the expression of them from all loyal sources not too bitterly partisan to accord the true measure of justice to a public official of another political party Greater latitude is allowed to a Court in questioning applicants for naturalization than in ascertaining their qualifications for jurors and yet there are hundreds of persons made citizens every year by the courts of this Territory whom the same presiding judges would rule out of the jury box as disqualified to sit in a case where the liberty of a polygamous lawbreaker law-breaker was involved Thisupon its face is un absurdity No man is fit to become a citizen whose opposition to any law l of the Nation is such as to disqualify dis-qualify him from rendering a just equitable and unprejudiced verdict ver-dict under that law The qualifications for citizenship are in every respect higher more important and it may be properly said more sacred than those of a juror A man certainly cannot servo in the latter capacity until he has attained at-tained the rank of the former and there is no consistency sense or reason in rejecting re-jecting him as an improper person to discharge one of the most important duties of a citizen upon the same ground which was declared insufficient to debar him from the right of exercising and enjoying the other privileges accruing from his naturalization In other words it is the acme of contrariety to elevate a man to citizenship upon precisely pre-cisely the Banjo showing which renders him ineligible to discharge one of the duties du-ties of that position It is to be hoped that the rule observed by Judge Hender son will be adopted in all of the Districts of the Territory for it is the correct one and in strict consonance with the letter and spirit of the Naturalization law |