The Elk County advocate. [volume] (Ridgway, Pa.) 1868-1883, 1869-01-15
Memorial from the Union League Club
Concerning the Naturalization Laws.

The Union League Club has lately ap-
pointeo,a committee, of which the Hon. r.
@. Hawkins is Chairman, and Col. Granville
2. Harris Secretary, to memorialize Congress
for such q change in the naturalization laws
as will prevent future frauds, and to enact a
general law on the subject. The memorial
of which the following is copy, is now in
circulation throughout the country, and we
trust all good citizens, without distinction Of
party will give it their support
To tie Honorable, the Congress ofthS United States:
Your petitioners, citizens Of the United
States native and naturalized, respectfully
represent That it is alleged and generally
believed, and as we are convinced can be
| clearly proved, that for some years past, and
| especially in the recent election, gross frauds
have been perpetrated upon the suffrage, by
the naturalization Of persons not entitled to
citizenship according to law, and upon evil
dence manifestly false and fraudulent, by the
issue of certificates of naturalization in blank,
or to other persons than those whose names
are inserted and by forgery and Justification
of fsuch certificates, and corrupt and wicked
use of the powers of State Courts and their
officers in this matter. Every good citizen
abhors such acts as grievous crimes against
the safety of the commonwealth and the lib
erty of the people. We believe that the ex-
sting laws on the subject of naturalization
are inadequate etfectually to prevent or pun
| ish these crimes and we ask that they should
| be revised and made more efficient
We respectfully ask your honorable body in
your wisdom to frame or enact law or laws
l. Which shall restrict the power of con-
ferring the citizenship of the United States
to the Courts of the United States 4; or,
where these Courts are not as accessible as
tribunals possessing this power should always
be to the worthy emgrant, to officers OF the
| United States, such for example, as the regis
ters in Bankruptcy, who can be found in
any Congressional District, and may be re.
quired to hold sessions in each county.
2. Which shall require Of all persons the
record in the Courts and in the Office of the
Secretary of State, of the declaration Of an
intention and the application to become 8
citizen, a certain period of of time before
naturalization, and forbidding any other
proof of such declaration or tue period o
residence in the country except such record
3. Which shall provide for the publica
ton OF the names and residences, and de
scription o. all persons declaring their IN
tentions, and OF all persons to be naturalized
and shall authorize any citizen 10 appear IL
open court in order to contest the-rightoi Oh an.
such person to naturalizatlGn now VI mere
after improperly granted
4. Which shall provide for the eifectua
punishment of all persons who are concerned
in any forgery, or fraud in making, obtain
ing, or using any false or wrongful order o.
certificate of naturalization. =
5. Which shall declare null and void every
certificate or order of naturalization heret
fore made in fraud, or in violation of thu
existing law, and shall make it felony fol
any person to utter or use in way such orde
or certificate.
6. And inasmuch as the acts of naturali
cation now in force were passed at various
times and doubts exist as to the effect o
some of them we submit that a general &C
is expedient, in which the whole law on th'
subject shall be embodied and clearly ex
pressed. .
And your petitioners respectfully refer t.
the act of 1902, passed during the Admins
tratiou of Thomas Jefferson, and repeated
until 1928, for the outline of such system
of registration of persons applying to be
come citizens, as we pray you to restore.