Speech #590088975

I approach the discussion of this very important bill without any prejudice whatever against foreigners in general or against any particular class of aliens. I agree with the gentlemen who have spoken that in any legislation of this kind we should have due regard for the rights of the aliens who have chosen to cast their lots with us. but I also maintain that the principal consideration should be the welfare of the Republic. I think in the past our laws have generally been administered with too little regard for the welfare of the people of the United States. and often with too much consideration for the privileges and feelings of the aliens seeking naturalization. The loose and Incomplete laws on naturalization that have heretofore been on the statute books of the United States. and their lax and even criminal administration. make up a record that is a disgrace td our country. Many reports have recently been made by commissions and agents of the different Executive Departments of the Government. showing a condition that ought to bring the blush of shame to every American. We have a report of an agent of the Department of Justice. showing the result of an investigation made by him in the city which the gentleman who has just spoken has the honor in part to represent upon this floor. showing that 25.000 fraudulent naturalizations. in his estimation. are at present in force in the city of New York. In 1905 Joel M. Marx. a special assistant United States attorney. in his report to the Department of Justice. shows that. as a result of his efforts in New York City for two years prior to his report. 1.916 fraudulently obtained certificates of naturalization were canceled. 791 indictments were found for crimes connected therewith. 685 convictions were had. and only 3 acquittals. while 103 cases were still pending. In the city of Detroit. Mich.. recently the most glaring frauds have been brought to light. and it has been shown that many perjuries and crimes in connection with the naturalization of aliens have been committed in that city. In San Francisco. too. within the last few months the United States district atttorney has instituted investigations which demonstrated that fraudulent certificates by the hundred have been Issued in that city. and he has prosecuted and sent to the penitentiary several men for offenses committed in connection with these fraudulent certificates. These prosecutions and disclosures have brought home to us in California. as similar disclosures and prosecutions in all parts of the country have brought to the attention of the people everywhere. the necessity for amendments and additions to the naturalization laws that will. so far as possible. put a stop to these practices which are constantly bringing disgrace upon the country and trouble and labor to its officials. Even a superficial study of the subject will. I think. convince anyone that many of these frauds and crimes could have been prevented by adequate laws and regulations on the subject of naturalization. From the report of Marcus Braun. an official detailed by the Department of Commerce and Labor for work in Europe. it appears that he discovered that thousands of fraudulent naturalization certificates were held by aliens residing in Europe and Asia. claiming to be naturalized American citizens. Many of these certificates have been purchased outright. Many more have been procured by false impersonations. and still others by aliens coming to this country and residing long enough to procure them and returning to their native land on the first boat that departs after they are clothed with the dignity of American citizenship. These certificates are considered in certain quarters of Europe and Asia as very valuable. as when armed with them the citizens of Turkey. for example. can conduct themselves in an unlawful manner. can even plot against the government of the country in which they live. and rely upon their American citizenship to protect them. I am advised by the State Department that In a very large percentage of the cases where naturalized American citizens call upon our foreign representatives for protection. investigation discloses the fact that their citizenship papers are fraudulent and absolutely void. and that they are not entitled to the protection of the United States. Doubtless many others who are not entitled to it. but whose naturalization papers can not be demonstrated to be illegal. receive the protection of our flag. Nearly all students of the subject have for many years agreed that two very essential considerations should be kept in view in any legislation on this subject. viz.. uniformity and Federal supervision of all naturalization proceedings. It would seem that no argument is necessary to convince gentlemen that uniformity in the methods of conferring American citizenship is very desirable. if not imperatively necessary. At present there is no uniformity. the methods of naturalizing citizens being as various as the several courts that conduct these .proceedings. The importance of uniformity becomes more apparent when we consider that the adoption of the fourteenth amendment makes it impossible for any State to protect itself ..against. undesirable persons who may be citizens of the United States. The gentleman from Ohio . in his speech .upon this subject. reported at page 6424 of the RECORD of the present session. enters into a very learned discussion to show that the matter of the qualifications for citizenship should be left to the several States. and in support of his contention quotes quite at length from the opinion of the court in the Slaughterhouse cases (16 Wal.).