Staunton spectator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1896, 1856-04-16

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petition to the Legislature of Virginia, which he
prepared in that year, he s,ritl sand your pc
titioners further slibmit-tos the wisdom Of the
two Houses Of Assembly, rhether the sqtety of
the citizens Of this coa,n,onweulM in Meif per
sons their property, hsil. M,cs and gore nmcat,
does not require Hdt the capacity to act IN the
important Ctiec Of a jurVr grand or petty, ciciI
or criminal, shoud be restrained in future to
natire citizens If the Intel States, or sueh as
,rers citizens at The d1te ofM tie teaty of peace.
which closed our revolutionary warand whether
the ignorance Of our laws, and natural partiality
to the countries OF their birth, ARE not reasonable
causes Tor declaring this to be one OF the rights
incommunicable in future to adopted citizens"
Jefferson's-W Writings, v 9, p. 453. .----.----.--
| How does that sound in the ears of Demo-
cracy9 WH 4Jg.7 gfste tfl d-.at. =
What would Mr. J. have thought if he could
fhaye seen the day arrive when, instead of an
aggregate of half million of foreign population.
, there would be an annual influx of that number,
of the worst class OF Europe ~ frgs
Then, indeed, would he have uttered, with
increased earnestness, the sentiment which we
find in one of his letters
81 hope we may find some meons in future Of
shielding ourselves from foreign infuence---poi-
teal. commercial, or in whatever form attempted.
can scarcely withhold myself from joining in
the wish of Silas Dean that there ue,s an ocean
of fire bet,ceen this and tie old world!"
How it must horrify the aEti-Americans of
the present day to find that the first and most
eloqtient teachers of the doctrines of the Amer
lean party were the sages of the Revolution
and the trainers of our Constitution
The naturalization laws were changed in many
particulars by the acts of 1892, 1913 and 1876
The last named act guarded with peculiar care
against abuses, by introducing new provisions,
which made the Identification of the applicant
more certain, and required the proof to be mat
ter of record. This was d most valuable feature
in the law 1t required that the applicant should,
when he made his declaration, file description
of himself so minute as to clearly establish his
identity. and when he obtained his certificate of
naturalization this description was incorporated
into it and constituted part of it. The law also
provided that the date of the recorded declara-
ton should be the evidence Of the commence
ment of residence of 3 years The effect of this
was to exclude parol evidence on this point and
thereby to prevent fraud and prejury.
In May, 1928, this law was altered 50 as to
strike out the provisions requiring the applica-
ton to be entered of record five years before
naturalization The object was to dispense with
record eridence and to substitute the parol testi-
mony of witness to prove residence. This change
in the law was made few months before an ey-
citing Presidential election. One of those who
urged the change was Mr.. Buchanan, who had on
previous occasion adrnonished his countrymen
against the dangers of foreign influence. That
change was doubtless made to conciate 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 country a train OF evils, the magnitude
of which it would be difficult to conceive.
The American party now propose TO guard
against these frauds, not only by an extension Of
the time Of residenee. but by restoring tile prori-
sions of the act of 1898 and 1916, requiring re-
cord instead otpar0l pr0cf of actual residence
for the time prescribed by law
No man at all familiar with the proceedings
of Courts of Justice, can have failed TO be im-
pressed with the facility with which such proof
Is now obtained, and to be shocked with the
perjury in such cases which is hardly disguised
Gangs of men come to the witness box and
swear for each other, with as much readiness as
they would go through any other mere matter
of form.
But we are not left to conjecture in regard to
the existence of frauds of this character We
all remember the celebrated case Of the Plaque
mine frauds when 1914 votes were cast in
district which contained but 400 voters. We
also remember the other frauds of 1874 which
became the subject of investigation before the
Senate of Louisiana on an impeachment of Benz.
C. Elliott, Judge of the City Court Of the city of
Lafayette Upon that trial it was discovered
that the Judge had fraudently issued 174S false
certificates of naturalization, and being duly con-
yicted, he was removed from Office.
Similar frauds have been practised to q very
great extent in Baltimore, Philadelphia and New
York.
In 1914 the subject was brought to the atten-
ton of Congress and on the 9th January, lS40,
Mr.. Berrien from the committee on the Judiciary,
made an elaborate report accompanied by volu-
mnOus testimony taken at different points, to
establish the frauds This report will be fonnd
in Sen. Doc. 173, 2nd session OF 2sth Congress.
Five thousand extra copies of the report were
ordered to be printed, and it is singular cir
cumstance that the printing OF the extra copies
of the report was ordered by strictly party
yote--EvERY DEMOCRAT IN THE SENATE VOTING
/ AGAINST IT!
The commissioners who were appointed to
take the testimony reported that they had sum-
moned indiscrWinatey witnesses OF both politl-
cal parties, but they add they regret that those
thus subpened belonging to the Den'ocratic par.
m hare generally omitted or retttsed to attend %
This to say the least of it is a significant tdct
With developments like these before us, and
when there is reason to believe that the elections
in 1874, both in Louisiana and Now York were
carried by fraudulent votes, and that the issue
of the Presidential election was thereby chang
ed. is it to be wondered at that the citizens of
L., l. Ia 30.
of the danger and degradation to which they
are subjected, by having the whole policy OF
the Country regulated and controlled by the
fraudulent conduct Of aliens!
What good man, whether he be q native or
adopted citizen will withhold his aid in correct
ing abuses like these! 1t is quite as important
TO the conservative, law-loving naturalzed citi-
zens. As TO the natives of the country, and l
am persuaded that it is only necessary to bring
the facts to their knowledge, to secure their cor
dial cooperation in the patriotic effort now on
foot. to guard against similar mischefs in future
Nv next number will be devoted TO the con-
sideration of the propriety of giving preference
TO native citizens, in the exercise of the power
of appointment and election to public offices.
i shall endeavor to show that there is nothing
wrong in principle in the doctrines of the A
merlcan party-hothlng opposed W u. .nc sPiriv "
the Notwithstanding at war with the cause
of civil and religious freedom, but on the con-
trary that their views are sustained by the prln'
ciples of the Constitution-by the practice OF the
government, and by the opinions OF the wisest
and best men that this Country has ever pro-
duced. MADlSON.
FEMALE I.IouoR RIoT N lNDIANA.-Abou
three-fourths Of the women of Princeton, Indiana
held meeting on the 22d ult., at which The,
resolved that no more liquor should be sold il
that town. On the same day they armed them
selves with axes. hatchets, etc. and in a bod,