“Who is the President of the United States?” asked the judge.
“Mist’ Wilson.”
“Who is the Vice-President?”
“Mist’ Marsh’.”
“If the President should die, who would take his place?”
“Mist’ Marsh’—he’s ready for that job.”
“Very good, Tony, and quite correct. Now, let me ask you something else. Could you be President of the United States?”
“Oh, no! no! Judge, please!” cried the dismayed petitioner, “you have to excuse me! I’m too busy!”
IN THE MATTER OF “CONTINUOUS RESIDENCE”
The fact of continuous residence within the United States for five years, and within the particular state for one year next preceding the filing of the petition, must be established to the satisfaction of the court. To the layman this would seem simple enough; but there is hardly anything connected with the process of naturalization about which there has been so much variety of interpretation. What constitutes “continuous residence”? It is said that a court in Utah disqualified an applicant because once during the five years he stepped across the Canadian border far enough and long enough to buy a sandwich! Shall a man lose his “residence” because of a walk across the International Bridge at Niagara Falls? Suppose he is a carpenter, or a farm hand, and goes over into Canada, or Mexico, for the summer months, or long enough to build a house? Suppose there is an estate to be settled up in the old country, or that the alien’s aged mother is dying in Copenhagen or Buda-Pesth, and yearns to see her son once before she goes. Shall that invalidate his residence? There are many judges who will not tolerate any absence whatever from the country, on any pretext.