The St. Louis Republic. [volume] (St. Louis, Mo.) 1888-1919, 1901-01-19
Workings of the Republican Natur-
alization Mill in ST. Louis
Prior to 1896 Election.
TURNED THEM OUT IN BUNCHES.
Attorney Fisse's Reference 10
Naturalization at the Court of
Appeals Recalls Flagrant
Methods Four Years Ago.

! The reference OF ". Z. Fisse. attorney for
horton in the Butler-Horton contest, TO
| tie naturalization OF foreigners In the st.
Louis Court OF Appeals prior to the eltc-
| tion IN November brings 10 mind the
! methods used by the Republican party In
! It's who,esale naturalization enterprise
! which fourished during the campaign pre-
cedi-g the presidential election in 1896.
At that time citizenship papers were Is
sued to S.2Ss men. nine-tenths OF whom were
Republicans. All OF these were issued be-
tween August lj and November ]. Large
hatches of so-caIled aliens were conducted
to the Court of Criminal Correction. and
Circuit Court by Republican workers. who
saw them through the ordeal OF naturaiza-
/ tion with remarkable dispatch and who ap-
parently were willing to bear witness 70
anything necessary TO obtain the papers.
From August Is to November 5. 1900. the
naturalization I'm all the courts in st. Louis
| amounted TO only S.6li. and the majority OF
these were Republicans. This shows de-
crease compared with 1896. during the same
period. Of 4e25. II was i'm 1895. when the
Republican party had practically full con-
troll of the naturalization places that II
succeeded in securing plurality in this
city of ISIS votes.
After the election nothing was thought OF
anu no contest OF any kind was instituted
on account Of II. At the til IL was well
known that Republican minIUns raked the
city from Baden to Carondelet. and from
the Nrsissippi River 10 the western limits.
in their search for subjects for citizenship
Garages were hired and old men and IN
yalids. who would otherwise have been Goa
tent to die as aliens. were driven to the
courts and presented papers OF citizenship
II Is well known also that the more eE-
terprtsing members OF the party were not
content with what they found IN St. Louis.
but brought In candidates for naturalization
from other States TO swell the Republican
vote on election day. Within Il few weeks
Of the election the Court Of Criminal Cor
rection did an extensive naturalization busl-
ness. Something more than 500 papers
were issued TO men introduced by Republic
an politicians. Among these were many ne
groes.
AS shown by the records. men who had
lived in this country for years and had
taken no steps toward being naturalized
were suddenly struck with a patriotic
ardOr and FASTENED to the Judges to be
made American citizens. By special ar
rangement with Republican Central Com
mittee the Court of Criminal Correction
was kept open at night for the accommo-
dation of members of the party desiring
evening sessions that most of the papers
were issued. AEtEte -
notable thing in the Republican
naturalization in 1876 was that patches OF
from eight to twenty foreigners would be
brought in at one time 10 obtain minors
papers, which are issued to aliens who
enter this country under the age Of Is
years. and prove by witnesses that they
have lived In the United States five years
thereafter In many cases two witnesses
would take oath for the entire party. stat |
ing that they knew each man had entered |
the country at such and such time and |
had lived here for five consecutive years.
During the years preceding the Republic |
an naturalization boom in 1895, citizenship 4
papers had been issued with comparative |
regularity. The average yearly issue as lar /
back as 1850 was comparatively even. and l
was but little affected by either local or |
elections Tne decline In naturali- 4
ration papers issued last year as compared |
with 1895 is accounted for by the inactivity |
In that direction by Republican .:orkers. or /
the fact that all available timber was used
up in their work during 1896.