Mr. Chairman. I favor the amendment restricting the naturalization to the United States courts for the reason that they are able. in my estimation. to take in all the business offered. The courts in the city of Pittsburg have a great deal of naturalization. and the United States court today is taking care of all the naturalization cases. The county courts have turned the business over voluntarily to the United States court. and the United States court hears all of the cases. and I want to say. for the benefit of my friend from -Iowa . who stated he believed he knew of no cases having been turned down by the United States courts. that there are hundreds of cases refused by the United States court in Pittsburg. Judge Buffington. of- the United States district court. has a school established for the examination of candidates for naturalization. and the clerk. William T. Lindsey. prescribes certain days during each month when the applicants appear for examination. They are interrogated not only on their knowledge of the English language. but their acquaintance with the salient features of American history. They are put through a catechism that is searching and rigid. and a number of them are excluded. I think that the United States courts are able to handle this matter and do it better than the county courts. -I want to state that the naturalization in Allegheny County frequently numbers from one to two hundred cases in a month. In former years. when our county courts naturalized. as the time approached for State and national elections. the Republican and Democratic committees paid the fees for final papers. and the rush upon the courts was terrific. and. of course. under the circumstances. the proper examinations could not be made. and numbers of Ignorant and unworthy applicants slipped through. Now. neither party advances the fees. and all applicants are referred to the United States courts. where. as I said before. the most rigid examinations are required. and. notwithstanding. an immense foreign population is attracted to our great manufacturing center. our new cltizens will compare favorably with any section of the Union.
Identified stereotypes
Ignorant and unworthy applicants slipped through.