And it is true that a lot of people then had come into this country who may not have complied with all the laws applying to legal entry. but they were not criminals. Some probably had come across the border to save the head tax or had violated some other law. but many of them were pretty fine people. If they had tried at that time to secure naturalization papers. they would not have been able to do so because that charge of illegal entry would have been against them. The reason I raise this question of whether or not that phrase with respect to eligibility to naturalization is sufficient Is this: The purpose of the law is a very laudable one. and that is to give these people a chance to become naturalized so their children can be naturalized. There are many fine peope in this country who. if they were compelled to trace back the citizenship of their ancestry. would find that their father had not been legally admitted into the counttry and therefore their citizenship is clouded. This has changed the tendency to correct that situation if that phrase means what you intended it to mean. and I hope it does.
Keywords matched
naturalization head tax naturalized