Speech #530021658

Now. Mr. Speaker. it appeared that all but 21 per cent of the enormous number naturalized in the supreme court were minors when they came here. and did not have to take out their first papers. "Minors" were naturalized who when they came here were over 50 years of age. and it was claimed they were minors when they came here. if anybody did any testifying in. the case. Why. it turned out afterwards that the supreme court had actually naturalized 37.138 people during the month of October in that year. the superior court. 27.897. and the court of common pleas 3.145. Why was all this naturalization? It will appear a little later on. Mr. Speaker. But afterwards these naturalization papers were examined. and it was found that one man. Patrick Goff. had appeared as a witness in 2.162 naturalization cases. It was found that in one day he went before a judge of the supreme court and certified to a residence in thirteen different streetsNo. 44 in each of thirteen different streets. in some cases a half a dozen times at the same number. For instance. 44 Green street. 44 Thompson street. It was found that men were naturalized. giving their names and the names of their witnesses. from vacant lots. from stoneyards. Men Wvere naturalized. and witnesses were found swearing to their good moral character. who gave their residences in houses that shall be nameless in this presence. There was not a resort. there was not a species of trickery that was left uncalled into requisition in making these naturalizations. An agency was established. A man by the name of Rosenburg said he sold over 5.000 naturalization certificates issued in blank and filled in afterwards. All a man had to do was to present a red ticket from Tammany Hall to get one of these certificates. and give Rosenburg a half dollar for it. Further evidence was found to show that others had sold as high as ten thousand of these certificates. Two thousand of them were shipped by express to the State of Ohio. They went to Connecticut. they went to Pennsylvania. and were soaked in coffee to give them an appearance of age. and afterwards we heard of a distinguished Democratic statesman in Pennsylvania called "Coffeepot" Wallace on account of these naturalization certificates. But the day of election came. The State committee of the Democratic party sent out a secret circular marked " private and confidental" to the different towns and cities to some Democrats on whom they could rely. asking them early after sundown at the close of the polls to send to the chairman of the Democratic State committee an estimate giving the Democratic and the Republican vote of that town. and it closed with an exhortation to do this promptly. that an important object was to be attained. while from the Democratic headquarters went out an order in the city of New York to inspectors of elections to take the electoral ticket. canvass each one separately. and read from each ticket each of the thirtysix names of electors.