Speech #510040452

It is not asking too much of a man when he applies to be admitted to citizenship and to the rights and privileges of citizenship. authorized under the Constitution in many of the States to vote as fully as if he were native born. to go into the open court and take an oath declaring his intention. But in 1876 Congress did change it. They passed this act. and I ask the attention of Senators to it: That the declaration of intention to become a citizen of the United StatesThey are dealing simply with this question of naturalization. observeThat the declaration of intention to become a citizen of the United States required by section 215The one which Ij ust read which has nothing to do with the qualification of a voter in a Territory. bear in mindof the Revised Statutes of the United States may be made by an alien before the clerk of any of the courts named in said section 2165. and all such declarations heretofore made before any such clerk are hereby declared as legal and valid as if made before one of the courts named in said section.