Citizenship Part 12

Only white persons and negroes may become naturalized.

"Chinese, j.a.panese and East Indians cannot become citizens unless born in the United States."

Unmarried women can become citizens like the men.

A married woman is a citizen if her husband is a citizen. She cannot become naturalized by herself. A woman born in the United States who marries an alien ceases to be an American citizen and becomes a subject of the country to which her husband belongs.

The wife of a man not a citizen of the United States cannot vote in this country.

If a resident of the United States she resumes her citizenship at the death of her husband, or if she is divorced.

A foreign born woman who marries a citizen becomes a citizen.

An American born may live abroad for many years and not lose his or her citizenship.

An alien enjoys the same protection of the law as does the citizen.

CITIZEN.

A citizen is a person born in the United States and subject to the jurisdiction thereof.

We are living in a democratic government which is a priceless heritage and a great blessing to mankind.

Democracy demands a sense of responsibility, personal interest in the affairs of government and respect for human rights.

As citizens we must become more conscious and appreciative of the inheritance our forefathers left us. This great inheritance is a wonderful land of opportunity and freedom.

To be an intelligent and desirable citizen we must have a knowledge of our Const.i.tution, and know by whom and how our country is governed.

The man or woman who does not possess some knowledge of how the country is governed--as has been said--may easily become a prey of persons who are anxious to advance their own interests at the expense of the people.

The things needed for the use and protection of the people are provided by the people through their government.

As a part of the community you enjoy the good roads, streets, schools, libraries and many other things; therefore, you have no right to shirk your duty in not helping to maintain your government. If we enjoy the good things in this life without doing our part to have them we are cowards.

To live in a country and enjoy its freedom, peace and comforts and not do our part toward maintaining such peace and comforts we have failed to do our duty toward our fellowman and government, and may be called a sponger, a coward and a shirker if we fail to vote and do our part toward maintaining our government.

It is not only our duty to vote but we should study and understand public questions so that we can vote intelligently on the issues of the day. We should be interested in the ballot for it is one way in which public opinion may be expressed.

Every man or woman under the protection of our government should feel obligated to give his or her best to make our government one of high ideals.

Plato said: "Only that state is healthy and can thrive which unceasingly endeavors to help the individuals who const.i.tute it."

The United States is both a democracy and a republic.

A democracy means a government by the people.

A republic is a democracy in which the people elect representatives to carry on the government for them.

UNITED STATES.

The United States is a great republic composed of more than 100,000,000 citizens under the protection of one flag with forty-eight stars which represent the forty-eight states of the union.

"A citizen might be termed a member of a large society called the United States."

Every man, woman and child is a member of this society, unless an alien, an idiot, or convicted of some infamous crime.

The members of this great society when they reach the age of twenty-one have a duty to perform which should be a sacred one. In this society citizenship is defined in the national Const.i.tution in the fourteenth amendment. "All persons born or naturalized in the United States and subject to the jurisdiction thereof are citizens of the United States and of the state wherein they reside."

One of the first duties of a citizen is to vote. If we fail to vote we have no right to complain of the condition of affairs, and how our government is managed.

It is a privilege to be a citizen of this great country and a member of this great "society called the United States." It should be a greater privilege to cast our vote in every election and know we are doing our part to keep up the government.

There are four ways which we, as citizens, can help maintain our government:

"First: Vote at every election, read and be interested in public affairs.

"Second: Help to manage public affairs and be ready to hold an office, if you are the choice of the people.

"Third: Try to understand public questions, so you can vote intelligently and criticize justly.

"Fourth: Remember to pay your share of the expense of doing the work."

There are now over 27,011,330 voting women in the United States, soon to take part in all elections, and share the responsibility as well as the privilege of suffrage.

In maintaining this great government of ours two parties are necessary to keep the wheels moving. As has been said, the two dominant parties now in existence are the Democratic party and Republican party.

We have learned that parties are means of securing united action among the voters who think alike. It was Washington who said: "The spirit of party unfortunately is inseparable from our nature, having its root in the strongest pa.s.sions of the human mind."

There must be organization under the direction of leaders to secure united action.

Let the women of our country come forward and identify themselves with the party of their choice and organize under competent leaders, showing to the world we not only deem it a great privilege to vote, but are willing to share the responsibility of making our government the best in the world.

Will you do your bit to keep this great machinery moving onward and upward?

CHAPTER XI.

WHY SHOULD WOMEN VOTE?

It is important that every woman who possesses the const.i.tutional and statutory qualifications should exercise her right to vote; because it is only in this way that there can be a fair expression of the political sentiment of the qualified voters on any question.

Another reason is that the right to vote is not only a privilege but a duty that is imposed by law, and where one is ent.i.tled to exercise that privilege, the failure to so exercise it is a failure to perform a duty on the part of the voter.