New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1868-07-10
PrFoPv I'M naturalization.

We are not surprised that the articles which
we have published on the great naturalization
frauds in Pennsylvania, in behalf of the Demo
cratic party in 1867, should have brought to us
several suggestions from correspondents whose
attention has been attracted by the intrinsic
Importance of the subject The underlying
idea of liberal political institutions is that OF
the most perfect equity, and there is nothlng
more aristocratic in its tendencies and nature
than doube-v voting. The felon who votes more
than once. when the law allows him to vote
once only, neutralizes the vote of his honest
neighbor, and may defeat the will OF whole
township, or county, or even State. A CORE
spondent, who has had a practical experience OF
the evils and dangers attending the present
reckless and unrestraned use OF NATURALIZATION
papers in the promotion of fraud, proposes
various changes in the law, which, If they had
been made soon enough, would have etectually
blocked the pretty little game of the Pennsyl-
yania Democratic State Committee. He would
have the naturalization process perfected and
both sets of papers granted in open court only;
he would have the interval of two years be-
tween the issue of the first and second papers
rigidly insisted on he suggests that those who
sufficient public notice of their intention, and
that printed lists of such applicants should DC
posted in public places in each election pre-
cnct for proper time before the application
is to be heard. These judiciOus suggestions
are worthy of careful consideration.
Our readers will remember that one OF the
most shameful of the Pennsylvania frauds was
the voting by naturalized citizens upon the
strength of papers worthless at best in half a
dozen or mere precincts Fellows who resort
to this game and who are known technically
in Democratic science as FOUNDERS" are en-
couraged in their profitable but inquitous per-
ambulations by untrustworthy Inspectors and
Judges of Elections who are utterly void OF
shame. Our correspondent proposes, when any
man registers or votes upon the strength OF his
naturalization papers, that the fact should be
indorsed upon them in plain black INK, thus
"Registered at or voted upon in this - pre-
"cinct of the -, State of -, on this -
ebay of - A. d. -, by the within named
e, now resident and voter hereof" This
certificate signed by the Register or Judge of
Election, might not prevent an unprincipled
officer from receiving a fraudulent vote; but
he would sin with his eyes open, and he could
plead no honest mistake Wneu DIOuBuI w DOOh
for his crime Our correspondent says that
when he was Register in Detroit, in 1859, he
took the liberty, law or no law, of thus In
dorsng naturalization papers. The local Dem
ocratic journals of course set up howl OF In
dignation, but their clamOr did not kill him,
nor will a like noise prove fatal to any Regis
tiers elsewhere who may adopt this simple pre-
yentiye, taking upon their own shoulders the
responsibility until we can get the procedure
authorized by Act of Congress.
The honest and well-nfomed citizen who
votes but once at an election is defrauded of
his most precious immunity by the dishonest
or ignorant naturalized citizen who votes upon
the same occasion twice or thrice. To con-
siderable degree the liberty in quest of which
he has crossed the ocean, and the political
safety which he has abandoned his birthplace
to secure, are flched from him through the
ignorance or the dishonesty of his associates
of the same class, who should be as scrupulous
as he is in maintaining the dignity and repu-
tation of the body to which both belong. He
should be as ready to have the swindlers of
the polls suitably punished as he would be to
send the petty-larcenOus rogue who picks his
pocket to the penitentiary.