The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1868-10-28
UTwo Dollars Apiece"

bhshed the fact that "two dollars piece" is
the standard price charged for certificates OF
naturalization by an authorized agent of the
Democratic party. "Noquestions are asked"
It does not make the slightest difference how
recently the applicant for citizenship has
arrived upon our Shores or what is his name
or character, for the forms may be filled up
with the nam es of the latest importation OF
prise-fghters, pickpockets, or burglars as
easily as with the patronymics of honest citi-
zens. An exchange in the interior of this
State announces that similar documents
have recently been offered for sale at the
ridiculously low sum Of fifty cents, and there
are some districts in which the local leaders
have been literally supplied with the necessary
papers free Of expense. Every form of fraud
and rascality is employed to swell the list
Democratic voters with the names of persons
disqualified by law. The gross neglect Ito call
it by no harsher name) of the highest legal
tribunal of this State, or rather Of its Demo
cratic judges and officers, was painfully attested
by the investigations which preceded the Octo-
ber election. Certificates of citizenship were
issued by the thousand, under the seal of the
Court, to parties whose real status was not
properly investigated.
The accidental discovery of batch of blank
naturalization papers leaves little doubt that
many similar documents were in circulation,
and in Democratic precincts every possible
facility for their use was offered. These facts
are now so trite that we would not repeat
them here except fer the purpose of directing
attention to the crimes involved in these pro-
ceedings, and to the virtual confession of the
Democratic leaders that without the aid Of
these crimes their organization would speedily
be destroyed. Naturalization papers issued
by q court without proper inquiry affirm,
under judicial sanction, fact which may not,
and in many cases actually does not, exist. The
seal of the Supreme Court of Pennsylvania
should be as sacred as the oath of a
private citizen. Yet what would judges
Thompson and Sharswood think of witness
swearing positively to the existence Of facts
about which he knew no more than they
know Of the real right of the thousands of per-
SONS naturalized under their direction to
exercise the privileges of American citizens {?
Passing from the painful spectacle of judicial
reoklessness, the New York Investigations
have disclosed the mode in which wholesale
perjuries are committed to promote Demo
cratic triumphs. Serviceable witnesses are
found to attest under oath the
continued residence and good character of men
whom they had never seen, and when necss-
sary double perjury is committed by false
personifoation of the candidate for citizenship.
AL these frauds and crimes still failing to fill
the ranks of the Democracy as rapidly as they
are depleted by the desertions of intelligent
and patriotic men who become conscious of
the dangerous designs of its leaders,
signatures and stolen or forged seals
attached, are manufactured, and the
names of the ''oarpet- -baggers" who arrived in
the very last cargo from Europe, and who
have had no chances whatever to learn in how
slight degree the Democratic party repre-
sents truly democratic principles, are inserted
in these documents. These crimes are not
only forbidden by the laws against forgery
and perjury, but an act Of Congress provides
that q punishment of five thousand dol
lars fine, and five years. penitentiary i'm
prisonment shall be inflicted on those who
manufacture or use forged or fraudulent nstu-
ralization papers. The dupes of the Demo
oraoy are prompted to commit crime whose
magnitude they scarcely realize. The essen
tial feature of republican government is
that bona. .Jide citizens shall rule. The intro
duotion of an unau thorized and illegal ele-
ment into our political contests not only in
wolves an infraction of important sta
tutes, but it aims deadly blow
at the central principle of democratic institu-
tions and at the most sacred recess of our poll.
tioal temple. And yet, at this moment, the
fortunes OF the once proud Democracy are re-
duced to 30 desperate condition that they
have no other resource We know what they
did to carry Philadelphia, in the vain hope
that these dark deeds woud carry Pennsylva-
mia. Similar crimes have been perpetrated, on
still larger scale, to carry New York city by
a majority that will counterbalance the
Republican majOrities of the rural dis
tricts Of the State OF New York. II these
crimes had not been committed, Grants ma
jorities in the North would have reached
many hundreds OF thousands and in spite OF
them his triumph is SO we'll assured that the
Democracy are forced to acknowledge it in
advance, and to send their Presidential candi-
date out on stumping tour at the eleventh
hour, to personally assure the people that he
is still live applicant for their sufrages.
The Consciousness of Wrong.