Speech #510117396

Let me read the conclusions as set forth in th(. report. It was submitted March 3. 1879: Ihe course of John I. Davenport. in regard to these naturalized citizens. admits oftnojustifleation. Mostly poor and ignorant. dependent upon their daily labor for their daily bread. honest themselves and disposed to believe others hot test. they were induced to surrender their papers when told that all papers issued by these courts in 1863 were invalid. All these cases had arisen out of the fact that during the year 1868 miny naturalization papers had been issued which were informal. the re(ipients of which in most cases. as the report says. were perfectly honest and sincere. These were the men that Davenport practiced upon. and the report goes on to say: They signed a deposition prepared beforehand. mostly in print. to escape the art est referred to in the notice of the district attorney and sent to them by Davetitort. (thers. believing their papers to be valid. and whose papers were in fact valid kn owing that Davenport had persistently and continuously for years attacked an I seized the false and fraudulent papers. knowing that each year when there wes a Congressional election they had been challenged and questioned by the su)ervisor under Mr. Davenports direction as to all the facts necessary to the va idity of their papers. and having answered the questions satisfactorily. and sworn in their votes. did not believe these threats of arrest were intended for thtm. and when dragged from the polls and denied the right to vote. they first retlized thepower of the chief supervisor of elections. rhen the report goes on to state that in the case of Coleman. which wits a test case.