Speech #460009845

On the 19th of February last the distinguished gentleman from Maine rose in his place and said: I have just returned froman investigation into Now York polities and Now York elections. I have a few figures which I desire to give of that monstrous election of 1868. the most monstrous and marvelous that over was hold anywhere in this world for fraud. for wickedness. and for every device of the devil that the democratic party under the lead of Tweed and Tammany could suggest. Look at the horrible picture. and then tell me. do yen wish it t psated In 1868 the stpremo court of the State of New York suddenly came to the rescue of the democracy as a naturalization power. Prior to that year the court of common pleas and the superior court alone had issned naturalization papers. In lots. on the 6th day of October. the supreme court. presided over by Judge Barnard. afterward impeached. naturalized in one single day twentyone hundred and nine persons. and the superior court. Judge McCnn. also impnehed. alone naturalizeod nine hundred and fourteen persons on the 19th day of October of that year. In 1864 the supreme court of Now York naturalized in the month of October ten thousand and seventy persons. and thesuperior courtin the same month naturalized 27.897 persons. an average of a thousand a day. The common pleas court. an honest old court. out of fashion and favor with the democracy. naturalized only thirtyone hundred and fortyfive persons. More than five thousand minors presented their minor papers. were heard. and their ease passed upon in one single court in New York City. and received certilicates only to save the necessity for the two years declaration of intention. In more than twenty thousand cases neither witness nor applicant ever appeared in sid e of either one of the New York courts. The papers were distributed in bundles to groiures and groceries. to houses of illfame. to barrooms and billiardrooms. in blank and filled up. as men called. for them. In scores of instances ignorant natives of the United States voted upon these naturalization papers They were sent In packages. five hundred in a package. up into the river counties of Now York. They were sent. a thousand in a package. into the State of oniecticut. along the New Haven Railroad. and Now Jersey received the full benefit of this democratic machine. In one instance they were delivered to thirtysiv men work. -ing in a brick yard. the names being written in on the top of a machine. They were sold i scores of places for from fift. cents to $0 each. There was one naturalization room where these poor ignorant fellowo were sworn by a mock judge to support the Constitution and vote for Hoffman. and then received their papers clothing them with citizenship. The superior court of New Yorkwas furni.hed in adranco with thirty thousand blank certificates of naturalization. the supremecoert with thirtynine thonsand. making sixt ynine thousand blank certificates ie all. A n cnt was made by the clerk of the court to ascertain the number that was left after the naturalization was ever. and only eighteen lundred and some odd of theco ilanks were left. Therefore there were naturalized either in court or in TammAnv. Hall headquarters from sixty thousand to sixtynine thousand in the year 18e. notwithstanding the records show only about forty thousand. There were nine standing witnesses. with a captain of the equad. witnesses in behalf of nearly seven thousand persons desiring to heoio citizens.