Page:Haiti- Her History and Her Detractors.djvu/326

 290 who have helped them to acquire the income on which they live.

Instead of retrograding, as is often said in bad faith of Haiti, she is progressing daily in her liberality toward foreigners. Formerly only Africans, Indians, and their descendants could be naturalized citizens of Haiti. In 1886 I proposed the removal of this discrimination; this was granted in 1889 by an alteration of the Constitution. All foreigners may be naturalized Haitians by observing the following formalities (Art. 14, Civil Code): "All those who, by virtue of the Constitution, are qualified to become Haitian citizens, must, within a month of their arrival in the country, declare before a justice of the peace of their place of residence and in the presence of two well-known citizens, their intention of settling in the Republic. They will at the same time swear before the justice of the peace to give up all other countries in favor of Haiti. Provided with the certificate of the justice of the peace relative to their declaration and oath, they must then present themselves at the bureau of the President of Haiti, where the act of naturalization is delivered to them."

Thus since 1889 Haiti grants to foreigners, without regard to color, the greatest facilities for becoming citizens. In this respect she can advantageously bear comparison with many other countries; in the United States, for instance, up to the present time no members of the yellow race may become American citizens. Still, the newspapers continue to charge Haiti with having race prejudice. This assertion contains as little truth as the accusation that the Haitians show their hostility to the whites by depriving them of the power to hold real estate. It is not the white man who may not hold