Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1890-10-05
CITIZENS TO ORDER.
Close of the Season of Naturalization
of Foreigners in Time for the
Coming Election.
WORK In EACH OF THE COURTS.
Over 1.5OO New-Made Americans in Nine
Months, 20 Per Cent Of Whom Were
Taken in Yesterday.
WORK In EACH OF THE COURTS.
SOME CAUSES OF A RUSH FOR PAPERS.
Secret Societies and Labor Organizations That Admit
Only Citizens.

Notwithstanding the announcement made
few days since, that a record OF 160 nat
publications In the United States Courts
here was the best ever made, the fact is that
citizen-making has been carried on in a
rather desultorv way the past year, though,
as Mr.. W. T. Lindsey, OF the United States
District Court, remarks there is con-
stantly growing disposition on the part oil
foreigners to get into the ark of safety.
This is shown in the matter of making
declarations. Whereas in past wears many
of the people who filed their intentions had
been in the country from 5 to 20 years, i'm
migrants are now focking into the courts to
declare, before the aroma of the steerage is
off their garments.
The United States Courts do not catch so
MANY as do the State Courts, as the poll
ticians seem to have their arrangements
generally made for striking off the gives of
European thraldom in the State Courts, and
those who come into the United States
Courts are generally volunteers, and they
scatter pretty well through the year. 1t is
suggested that iS the County Courts much
of the time of the Judges might be saved
were one of them delegated to attend to the
dutv during September, and then make all
come to the scratch at once or run the risk
of going over another year. Talking of
large numbers of naturalizations, there were
in September, 1860, the big end of 1000
naturalized in the United States Courts of
this district alone considerably more than
half as MANY as were polished off in all the
courts that sat in Pittsburg this year to
date.
HATURALIzATIoNs FOR NINE MONTHS.
For the week ending last night, the
nat s;alizations in the United States Courts
for nine months, or for the year to date,
were 400, all but two or three of which were
in the United States District Court. Com
missioner McCandless states that the reason
his court gets the business seems to be that
applicants do not take the trouble to pass
the door of his Office.
In the Common Pleas No. the number
was 776; in Common Pleas No 2, Ill, and in
the Quarter Sessions, 276, a total for the
year, in all the courts, of 1,57O, nearly 300
of whom were taken into the fold yesterday.
While the number of naturalizations is
not large for the year, it is the declaration
business, as Mr.. Lindsey remarks, that
shows the drift of sentiment among newly
arrived foreigners. A considerable number
are under age, and they press along With
the elders. He says there does not seem to
be much politics in it, but from questions
put to some of the more intelligent, and the
answers received, it would seem that they
have fear that adverse legislation is not
far distant, and that growing sentiment may
either make their probation much longer or
that 1t may possibly reach the climax of
some extremists who would debar foreign
ers from voting privileges entirely, only al
lowing the franchise to their children. Some
of them also have sufficient intelligence to
know that the ability to vote carries with it
power in the direction of the improvement
of material condition.
Mr.. McCaudless also thinks that people
who have expressed establishment at the
growth of fresh-fedged voters do not make
p-oper allowance for the fact that many
hurried to get in last year, In order to be
able to vote against the adoption of the Con-
stitutional Amendment for the suppression
of the liquor traffic. Further, he states that
the rapid growth and development of West
ern PENNSYLVANIA account for a considerable
part of the increase.
INDUCEMENTS TO BECOME CITIZENS.
Another reason given by Court House
official, is that some workingmen's organi-
cations require citizenship as Z qualification
for membership, aud another is that among
the Swedes, membership is dependent on
naturalization. 1t will also be recollected
that not so long since the Sons of St. George
decided to naturaliZe, SO as to be able to
combat the Irish influence in politics.
1t is noted that applicants from some
European countries are all Republicans,
while others are nearly all Democrats, and
from those who can talk English it is
learned that their bias is generally formed
ere they leave home.
While the newcomers are OF nearly all
the nati0Ealities of Europe, Germany is the
heaviest contributor. There is sprinkling
OF Russians, a considerable number of
Swedes, Austrians and Italians. some Poles
aGG the rest scattering, so far as the Cont
nent is concerned. While the Irish still
come IN considerable numbers, they do not
bear nearly the same proportion to the
whoie that they did 80 years ago. The
names show it, without reference to the
country and sovereign abjured.
Ii bad writing be an evidence of genius,
there are many nascent Horace Greelys |
among the new arrivals. In fact, were it |
not that the clerk also writes the names |
himself, in each application, it is doubtful |
whether some OF the signers would in years |
to come be able to designate their own auto |
graphs. Those signed ''his [ Il mark'' are |
generally the most iesible, though occasion |
ally YOU come across name written in the |
highest style of art. In glancing over a |
declaration book 30-odd years old, one would |
be astouished to find some names "his Tx1 |
mark and to know that they had since |
risen 10 positions of considerable emil |
nence in society, business, politics, etc. |
II is not TO the discredit of those people that !
they were not able to write their names 80 |
years ago.
Sentences Dealr Out Yesterday,
In the Criminal Court Yesterday Sadie |