Page:Popular Science Monthly Volume 66.djvu/253

Rh The federal grand jury, recently in session in New York in relation to the naturalization of aliens, adopted resolutions condemning the wholesale manufacture and sale of counterfeit and altered certificates of naturalization, and recommended new legislation to insure uniformity of practise in the various states, an engraved certificate and other precautions to prevent counterfeiting.

Mr. C. V. C. Van Deusen, special examiner in regard to naturalization, in his report to the attorney-general, November, 1903, says in part:

The evidence is overwhelming that the general administration of the naturalization laws has been contemptuous, perfunctory, indifferent, lax and unintelligent, and in many cases, especially in inferior state courts, corrupt.

I find that it is and has been for years past the practise of judges of state courts to hold evening sessions of court at the behest of political leaders for the sole purpose of naturalizing hundreds of aliens for political purposes with a full knowledge on the part of the judges that the aliens have been bribed to become citizens and voters by the payment of their naturalization fees by the political organizations.

In those states in which the naturalization fee is not fixed by statute, or where the fees are retained by the judge or clerk, the 'naturalization business' of political organizations is a matter of competitive bidding by local courts and is awarded to the lowest bidders.

In those states which prescribe by statute the naturalization fee, which must be accounted for by the clerk, it is the general practise of political organizations to select a specific court presided over by a judge of like political faith, to which the aliens, 'rounded up' by the district workers, are sent with official cards addressed to the clerk of the court requesting that final papers be issued to the bearer. These cards are afterwards redeemed by the political organization by the payment of the amount of the fees represented by them. In many cases clerks of courts demand advance payment of these fees from the political organization, having a due regard for the fact, based on previous experience, that it is often impossible to collect the money from the political committees after an election has passed.

In many cases clerks of courts remit the naturalization fees in cases of aliens sent by their political organizations as their contributions to the campaign fund, while exacting the last cent permitted by law from aliens not 'indorsed' by such organization.

In many instances the judge passing upon the qualifications of aliens for citizenship sent him by his political organization is a candidate for reelection, the result of the election being often decided by the vote of these aliens. Under these circumstances it is not strange to find that little or no attempt is made by such judge to ascertain the fitness of the alien for citizenship and that the number rejected is practically nil. It is a common thing for an alien rejected in one court to be admitted in another court on the same day. In one case I found that a judge had held an impromptu session of court late at night in a railroad station while waiting for a train for the purpose of conferring citizenship upon a number of aliens whose votes were needed at an election.

In another case a judge entered an order revoking certificates of citizenship granted to seven aliens by him, under the impression that they had been sent by his political organization, but who were afterwards repudiated by that