Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1892-05-11
THE MILL FOR VOTERS.
Trouble Expected In New York Over tho
Question OF Naturalization.
Special Correspondence to The Evening Star.
New YORK Nav TO- 1892

Trouble Expected In New York Over tn 9
Question OF Naturalization.
Special Correspondence to The Evening Star.
NEw YoRK, May 10. 1892
The chances are that there will be trouble be-
fore long in local political circles over the ques-
ton Of just how loosely the naturalization bu-
reaus Of this city are to be run between now
and the next election. A shock went through
the centers Of political influence in the slums,
where the embryo citizens are trained in the
way to answer the questions Of the courts the
other day, when it was published that there
had been change in the mode Of administering
the oath Of allegiance to applicants for final
papers, and the hcelers and others who derive
large incomes from the practice Of steering
squads Of emigrants to the courts and there
running them through the machine are now
racking their brains TO offset this to them dam
gerOus innovation.
The change is the result Of stroke of con-
science on the part of venerable clerk OF the
superior court, which Is one Of the machines of
naturalization. After twenty years OF service.
during which he has administered the oath of
allegiance to hundreds of thousands of immi-
grants, this clerk the other day came to the con-
ciusion that 1t IL not proper to let man become
q citizen unless he cannot only speak English
but understand the nature Of the oath to which
he Is obliged to subscribe before he IL entitled
to his papers. In short, it occurred TO the clerk
that there was at least one qualification that
should be applied a. . test not so much as Il
check to the overwhelming swarm Of applicants,
but as a wholesome standard of efficiency
IL is estimated that fully three-fourths Of the
Italian and Polish applicants for papers arc
wholly unable to understand English, no mat
ter how long they claim 70 have remained within
the country. The percentage is smaller in the
other classes, but these natiOnalities include the
vast majority Of the applicants. There have
been already several dozen would-bc citizens
turned away from tho superior court az un-
qualified under the new rule, which has re-
ceived the sanction of the presiding justice Of
news of the reform spread like wild6re amid the
sums, and the line OF applicants for papers ut
the doors Of the superior court has suddenly
dwindled, while the clerks in the other natural.
Hution bureau, the court of common pleas,
have been driven almost to desperation by the
sudden increase Of pressure upon them.
Leaders In local politics arc preparing for q
warfare against the innovation. There Is too
much at stake in the coming election to allow
reform in naturalization methods Just ut this
time. 1t may be that the intrepid clerk whose
Conscience would not permit him to pass uIl-
Questioning all the applicants who appeared
before INN will be disciplined especially
as the influence Of the reform has begun to
spread, ard there IL now on foot II movement TO
compel the other court to adopt the new rule
and ths effcctually shut out the nickel-i the
slot citizens who being landed daily by the
thousani,. and who apply foe papers SO soon
after touching the shores that they have to hire
interpreters to tell them the meaning Of the
test questions put to them by the judges.