Speech #510173100

If there be a higher duty devolved upon the National Legislature. I can not conceive of it. My friend from Delaware (and I hope the peoplefor he says he spoke to all the peoplewill read his very able and interesting speech) objected to this bill and to the clause of it which charges the Federal supervisors with a duty in relation to protecting the naturalization against fraud. and makes it the duty ofthe supervisors to convey to the court acting upon naturalization any information which they have acquired tending to show thata proposed naturalization if consummated would be a fraud. Upon what principle. patriotic or fair. can that provision be objected to ? It seems to me we have passed the time when that ought to be an idle ceremony by which a man is born into the citizenship of this Republic. I think we have come to a period when there ought to be thrown around the naturalization ceremony safeguards sufficient at least to make it something other than a farce. Men are naturalized under a XXI---46 Federallaw. and the Federal Government is interested in protecting the people of all the country against frauds upon this naturalization statute. If a supervisor has information which goes to show that a man who pronoses to apply for citizenship is not entitled to become a citizen. for Heavenssake tell me. nonpartisan friends.whyheshouldnotcommunicatethatinformation to the court. If he didhot heought to bepunished. Ithinkif my friend from Delaware knewthat a fraud was about to be perpetrated upon the naturalization in his city or State. that a man was about to become robed with citizenship who had no right to become a citizen. he would not keep that knowledge buried and turn his back upon the court. If he did he would not quite discharge the duty ofa good citizen. and it is wise and it is right that an act of Congress should devolve upon Federal agencies theduty of protecting. by investigation and information to the courts. State or Federal. the naturalization of persons from abroad. There is another provision in this bill which I think ought to commendit to everybody. It is that which requires hereafter the naturalization proceeding to be in open court and to be recorded as a part of the proceedings of the court. The time has gone by. it never ought to have come. Mr. President. when a clerk of a circuit court should take a carpetbag full of naturalization papers out of his office and distribute them. and then come back with a little memorandum and make his record. The time never ought to have arrived when the process of making a citizen of the United States by naturalization could have been outside of the courts ofjustice. and the provision of this bill which makes it a judicial proceeding hereafter to be conducted in open court and to be made of record is one which ought to commend it to Senators on the other side as well as to Senators on this side. -Mr. President. Senators on the other side have had a great deal to say (I think it is the pivotal point with them in their opposition to this bill) against that section which provides for a Federal canvassing board to be appointed by the circuit court of the United States to canvacs the vote and give the certificate for all the Congressional districts in a State where the entire Congressional district has been brought under Federal supervision as provided by this proposed law.