The Washington times., 1904-09-18

etc. OF KoppeIw!cz. informs the latter /
that be has been ib the country six Z
years. aud that he made his first OeCiar- +
alton iu New York city. but has forgot
Zen the court aud lost the papers kop-
pelwicZ purses his lips and eleVatcs his
eyebrows to show that he is wise. Then
the boss man has a minutes converse I
fion with the clerk Of the court. and a
paper Is made out and given to the
judge, who asks KoppelwiCz. the cousin
and the boss man TO hold up their right
hands.
He mumb,es something that KopDel-
wicz thinks IS an Incarnation. until his
cousin tells him on the outside that IL is
"A silly thing called an oath. a mere
fOrmality; then the Judge signs the
papers and Max kopDeiwicz. less than
six months in the country. ignorant OF
every form and officer OF its Govern
ment except the policeman with HIS club
and the President. OF whom he has
vaguely heard. walks forth 10 all intents
and purposes citizen Of the United
States. He IS able To cast a ballot that
counts Tor lust as much as that of some
splendid old Ohio farmer whose fore
fathers We're American pioneers, who
has reared six sons whose votes no man
could buy, and who is I'm every sense of
the word an ideal citizen.
When election time comes KoppeI-
wicz receives visit from his cousin,
who explains to him just where TO put
his mark. showing him a dummy bal
lot. and after rehearsiug him properly
takes him TO the polls and votes him
how, k0ppelwicz does not know; Tor
what. he does not care. except that his
cousin buys a drink for the two of them.
and gives him the change from 3
bill
Carrying the Fraud to Europe.
This is not the end OF the fraud Per-
haps a few months. perhaps two or
three years. after he has become "natur-
allied" the barkeeper In the saloon
which Koppelwicz frequents. Will say to
him:
sure have Why do you ask?"
Koppelwicz replies, trihe suspicious.
There was a fellow around here yes
terday who told me ne was buYlnS up
citizen papers that nobody wanted. He
Will be around here tomorrow night.
Bring yours over and maybe you'll be
able 10 get "A bit OF money for it
The next night Koppelwicz meets the
stranger who examines the paper and
offers Koppelwicz 81 for It, II II is
WORT, one he may give two, koppel-
WicZ thinks. and parts with IL at the end
OF ter minutes bargaining for $3.50.
This stranger Is merely the American
collecting agent for a firm in Fiume let
as say. which does a regular traffic In
American citizen papers. He viii pur-
chase thousands each year, and, put
ting portion Of them into the hands
OF men employed for the purpose. viii
secure American passports on them.
The men chosen for this purpose are
Of personal types that are general
among the CrOataus. DalmatianS. Cali
clans. Roumanians. etc. where the pa
pers are to be sold. Some are tall an6
muddy blond. the most of them are
snort and dark with heavy Jaws; for
the description Of each must go down
on the passport, and that description
must be such that Il would mt anyone
of five hundred men. With a thousand
naturalization certificates Of different
names and American passports 10
match and with twenty different sorts
az me-
sentative OF the Fiume firm has a fine
line of wares 10 send to his principals
Loophole in Investigation System.
When / first took up the investigation
OF this gigantic fraud 1 naturally de-
sired TO know how many naturalized
citizens. or supposedly naturallzed citi-
zens, entered the United States each
year I'm the second cabin and steerage
Being on the Continent I went 90 *
trmesl 10 find a report of the Commits
sionef General OF immigration. II did
not seem as If there was one in Ill
Southern Europe At last il occurred
10 me that the steamship agents would
certainly have one, and there / found
sesgsral Imagine my establishment 10
md no record whatever IN the reports
concerning this matter
On nv return 20 the United States 7
secured the new report just issued and
also contained nothing on this point
On inquiry / was informed that the adj
mission Of citizens is an entirely nde-
pendent matter from the examination
and admission Of aliens. and that though
the commissioner at each immigrant sta
ton could probably tell me how many
men had passed through the station in
company with their alien families the
bureau had no record Of the numbers.
nor could Il keep any legally. Some cs-
innate might be found by scanning the
filed mauifests FOR the red ink United
States citizen" marks
What an appalling loophoe this Is Ia
our Immigration systemi In Naples,
the greatest Of ports OF departure for
immigrants, there are scores of small
shops not half mile from the Capt.
taner1a where these fraudulent papers
are sold or rented-not only United
states papers. but for various South
american countries as well In the case
Of the Italians. the natural tendency
TO counterfeit IS displayed in the fact
that the papers are not even fraudu-
lently obtained I'm many cases. but re
forged and cOunterfeited I'm every uar-
ticular. and the name space IS blaa6
untI the customer buys IL.
The Trick in Buffalo.
Research in this country shows that
this fraud is used by the ward heeIers
of all the great cities Of the country
without regard TO party.
They have an exceedingly ingenious
method Of doing The trick in Buffalo.
The system is headed by q man who
has little regard for either party, ex-
eept as II influences his income. He
devised the clever procedure Of utilizing
The clause OF the natura lization INV
which allows minor over eighteen who
has been five years ga the country to-
take out citizen papers without having
snade a first declaration
Since four years ago an Of the Young
Poles who arrive I'm the East Erd ~
Buffalo. and the young Italians who
come 20 the Court Street quarter. are
shaved close and brought dow r,,,,,, -,
take out naturalization papers as min
ors. Some of them may be thirty wears
81 age. but all are reduced 10 TyveDf,-
one shortly when they are lined N.
Tor papers One or two yveIi-tuo,,,I,
Poles from the East End. or Irjsbrnen
from the First ward, are brought aIoDg
L. .s"'lr that they know the applicants
nave been In the country five vears
When man IS too Old 10 mass T,.y
1wenty-one. even in a politicalIIy
hretched imagination. the process
which II favored IN Cook county is an
Pned. namely. the total disregard ~
grst declaration papers