William Howard Taft

“ We think the words, 'the right of citizenship shall not descend to persons whose fathers have never been resident in the United States,' are equivalent to saying that fathers may not have the power of transmitting by descent the right of citizenship until they shall become residents in the United States. ”

“ We are thus to have two generations of citizens who have been born abroad, lived abroad, the first coming to old age, and the second to maturity, and bringing up of a family without any relation to the United States at all until the father shall in his last days adopt a new residence. We do not think that such a construction accords with the probable attitude of Congress at the time of the adoption of this proviso into the statute. ”