Greenbrier weekly era. [volume] (Lewisburg, Va. [W. Va.]) 1854-1861, 1856-05-20

q" ocea" 2fEre Lettrccu tbs esnd thc olt!
tcorhi "a
How it must horrify the anti Amcri-
eans Of the present day to find that the
hrst aud most eloquent teachers Of the
doctrines Of the American party were
the sases Of the Revolution, aud the
trainers Of our Constitution
Inc naturalization laws were changed
III many particulars by the acts Of SUI,
1913, aud lslG. The last named act
guarded with peculiar care against u
buses, By Introducing new provisions,
which made the Identification Of the up-
pilcant nore certain, aud required the
proof TO be matter OF record. This was
u ,tnost valuable feature in the LAW. It
required that tho applicant should when
he made his declaration, file desc rip
tion Of himself SO minute as to clearly
establish his identity, and when he OBJ
tained his certificate Of naturalization.
this description was incorporated into it
and constituted part Gift. The law also
provided that the date Of the recorded
declaration should be the evidence of
tic commencement Of residence Of five
years. The effect Of this was to exclude
parol evidence Oh this point aud .hcrc BY
to prevent fraud aud perjury.
Iu May, 1923, this law was altered
so az to strike out the provision, reuuir-
lug the application 10 be entered OF re-
cord i've years before naturalization
The object was to dispense With recoru
cci"cHce. aud to substitute the puroL tcx-
An!o"y Of witnesses 10 prove residence.
This change in the law was made IL few
months before an exciting prrsi,l entail
election. One Of those who urged the
Change was Mr.. Buchanan, wh, had on
u previous occasion, udmoui.hed his
countrymen against tic dangers Of for
cign influence. That ctnnse was doubt.
less made to conciliate the foreign vote,
and in all probability had that effect
as might have been anticipated, it threw
open wide door for fraud, and it has
brought upon The couniry train Of
evils, the magnitude of which it would
nc difficult to ccnc-vc.
1he. American party how propose to
guard against these. frauds, not on/v bu
an extension Of The time Of residence,
d"t 6y reshori"s tie 3,/oUiSi0ns of tie
acts NJ 1898 anHlsIG, ye1niring yccostl
i"Sfe'td efpu'of proof OF actual residence c
for the time prescribed by law.
No man Mt all familiar with the pro-
cccdings of Courts Of Justice, can have
failed to be impressed with the facility
with which such proof ia now obtained
sse s"3saoa %!s% %"!a'y ;"9 ,estiissS
Gangs of men como to the witness box
and swear Tor each other, with as much
readiness as they would 20 through any
other more matter Of form.
But we arc not left 10 Conjecture in
regard to tic existence Of frauds Of this
character. We all remember tie cclc
brated case Of the ria1ucminc frauds ;
when l0iI votes were cas-: in district
which contained but 400 voters. We
also remember the other frauds Of l y4l
which became the subject Of invcstiga.
ton before the Senate Of Louisiana, on
an impeachment of BEN amin G. Elliott,
Judge of the City Court of the City of
Lafayette. Upon that trial it was dis
covered that the Judge had fraudulent.
~ Issued l7l6 false certificates of natu-
ralization, and being duly convicted, he
was removed from Office.
Similar frauds have been practiscd 10
very great extent in Baltimore, Phila.
dclphia, and New York.
In 1914, the subject was brought to
the attention of Congress, aud on the
9th January, 1916. Mr.. Bvrrien from
The Committee on the judiciary, made
an elaborate report accompanied by 70.
luminous testimony taken at different
points, to establish the frauds. ibis re-
port will be found in Sen, Doc l73, I'd
session of 29th Congress. Five th ou.
sand extra copies Of the report were or.
dercd to be printed, and it i, sinrula,
circumstance that the printing Of tie cx.
ira copies Of the report was ordered by
strictly party votc-cvcry Democrat
IN the Senate voting against it
The Commissioners, who were an.
pointed to take the testimony, reported
t""V tHtJ uan outbnoncH IDu lSCrinlluate.
y witnesses Of both political parties, bu,
they add-thcy regret Tint those thus
subr9ned 6eI0HgiHg TO The Democratic
porky, haze generally omitted or yefus.
! ct 10 attend!
This, 10 say tue least Of it, is II sig.
"jfc0nt Iact.
With Developments like these before
us, and when lLcrc is reason 10 believe
that the elections in 1914, both III Louis.
iana and New York were carried by frau.
dulcpt votes, and that the issue Of the
Presidential election was thereby chang.
cd, is it 10 be wondered at, that the cilii.
zcps Of tho United States should be n
rouscd to sense Of the danger aud dc.
graduation 10 which they are subjected
having the whole policy Of tic country,
regulated and controlled by tho fraudu
lent conduct Of aliens!
What good man, whchor ho 10 ,,a.
tive or adopted citizen, will withhold
his aid in correcting abuses like these ?
II is quite as important to the couscrva.
tive, law loving naturalizcd citizens, os
to tho natives Of the country, and | an,
persuaded that it is only necessary to
bring tho facts 10 their knowledge, to SC
cure their cordi"l co.opcratiou in the
patriotic effort now on foot, to gard d