New-York tribune., 1870-08-23
NfTTRALI/fTION.

Our city mills for the manufacture OF ilaudu-
lent naturalization certificates do not grind
slowly, and Congress during its last session
was careful to pass no measure that would Sc
riously retard their operation. We needed a
law to prevent fraud, trap to catch the
rogue, a lock on the stable door; Congress gave
us a law to punish those proved guilty OF
fraud, prison for the theft we can catch
him. And there's the rub. There has always
been a law against making, selling or using
forced or counterfeit certificates of citizenship,
with severe penalties for breaking it, and yet
everybody knows that Tammauy Hall has, year
after wear, turned out such papers by the
thousand, and they have been used in every
election held in this city during the past ten
years. But is any one ignorant enough to
suppose that the law ever has been or ever
can he enforced in New York City un-
der the present Democratic regime? If
Judges Barnard and McCunn displayed
half the zeal in bringing the perpetrG-
tors of these frauds to justice that they display
in running their mills few weeks before each
election, and in accepting straw ball for re-
peaters arrested on election day, we should
have had This abuse reformed long ago. But
this is not to be expected; people don't curse
the horse that has brought them safely over
the stream, especially if they expect to need
his services again.
The act passed by Congress Just before its
adjournment has but few provisions 10 recon-
mend it. The old law passed in 1913 provided
that any person who should falsely make
forge. or counterfeit or cause to be made,
"forced. or counterfeited" any certificate of
naturalization, or who should fraudulently
use one, or sell one to any person to whom 1t
was not originally issued, should be deemed
guilty of felony, and on conviction, be sentenced
10 impTisOnmcnt at hard labor for not less
than three nor more than five years, or be
fined not less than five hundred dollars, nor
more than one thousand. The new law-an
official copy of which is printed in another
coumn-providcS special penalties not only
for the forgery of a naturalization certificate
but also for any false swearing, false persona
ton, the forgery of any paper or signature
required under the Naturalization laws, the
ante-dating of any paper, the selling of any
paper 10 a person not having righttu claim
to it, and the use or the attempt to use any
fraudulent paper.
The last four sections OF the act are all that
were saved from the ruin which overlook the
bill as it was reported from the Judiciary
Committee to the Senate. One of these gives
to the United States Courts jurisdiction OF all
oficnses under the provisions of the act; an
other makes it the duty of the United States
Circuit Judge, upon the application of two cit
zens to appoint for each election district III
a city of more than 10000 Inhabitants two in
spectors-one from each political party-who
shall be authorized to watch the registration
of voters and the casting and counting of the
votes for members of Congress; the third
makes it lawful for the United States Mar
shal in any city of 10000 inhabitants, or more
to appoint special deputies to preserve order
at any election for members OF Congress, and
the last section extends the Naturalization
laws to aliens of African nativity or descent
These sections, if rigidly enforced may secure
the conviction of some of the scoundrcls en-
ployed in the Tammany mills and reduce the
number of Illegal votes at the election this
Fall. We call upon the honest men Of all
parties TO assist in the enforcement Of this law.