Page:Federal Reporter, 1st Series, Volume 2.djvu/746

 IK KB AH CHONQ. '?39 �to the race to which he belongs. Many persons of the Cau- casian race are natives of China, and probably not a few descendants of citizens of the United States, who would fall within the terms of this provision. ' �Section 4, article 19, of the state constitution, in obedience to which the act no'*' in question was passed, provides that "the presence of foreigners ineligible to become citizens of the United States is declared to be dangerous to the well-being of the state, and the legislature shall discourage their immi- gration by ail means within its power. " It certainly cannot be the "ineligibility to become citizens" that renders the presence of foreigners "dangerous to the well-being of the state." If the presence of the Chinese as aliena, intending, dead or alive, to return or be returned to their own country, is objectionable to our citizens as being "dangerous to the ■well-being of the state," it is not dif&cult to perceive that their presence as citizens, permanently domieiled and multi- plying in the state, would be far more objectionable and ob- noxious to the welfare of our people. If ineligibility to citi- zenship were the only objection, it could easily be obviated by striking the single word "white" from the naturalization laws. Indeed, in the late revision of the statute, the word "white" was inadvertently omitted; but our people made haste to procure its re-insertion by amendment at the earliest opportunity. Thus, from June 22, 1874, to February 18, 1875, Chinese were eligible to citizenship. In re Ah Yup, 6 Sawyer, 155. But the people of California were not satisfied with their eligibility, and in deference to their wishes they were again made ineligible to citizenship. So ineligibility to citizenship is not the dangerous or objectionable feature. The real objection is more deeply seated and more substan- tial. Many believe that the time bas corne when ail natural- ization laws should be abolished. Should congress corne to entertain that view, and repeal the naturalization laws, then ail aliens would fall under the ban of this provision of the state constitution. �These various provisions are referred to as instances illus- trative of the crudities. not to say abaurdities, into which ����