Speech #660273302

Oh. yes. the committee spent some time in the presence of these officers who examine these papers and persons. We found the same method of examination in the Naturalization Bureau. Here were two little rooms. 10 by 12. and in one room five stenographers and assistants and in the other six or seven. and they were crowded so thick with applicants that they bumped against each other. They brought the applicant in with two witnesses. and the witnesses were asked. " Do you know this man. will he make a good citizen. and would you like to be an American citizen?" " Yes." "Well. go on." And they are run through there like sheep. dropping a little pebble when you get 100. That is the way they examine them in New York by the Bureau of Naturalization. Now. the committee has not taken any second information on this. They saw what was going on in the Bureau of Naturalization. They saw it not only once but several times. and in the courts also. by these men who were being naturalized. Now. that is one remedysuspend immigration for two years until we get those here naturalized. Let these applicants have some conception of what it means to become an American citizen. We should make a sufficient appropriation so that the Bureau of Naturalization. in conjunction with the superintendents of the counties of the various States and the city superintendents may get these men and women into these night schools where they may receive instruction as to what this Government means. so that they will be able to read and write and understand the genius of our Government. Now. a great part of that will be done in the next two years. relieving them of the enormous burden and expense. Then when the two years have passed and gone and things will have been changed here. conditions abroad will have settled down to a better state. people will be more contented than at the present time. and we will be able to enact an immigration bill whereby we will be able to admit to this country the aliens from another country who have some conception at least before they come here that they are going to become a part and parcel of this country and spend their remaining days on American soil and be imbued With its principles and where they will be protected by society instead of having a purpose to destroy this Government. as has been done for the last four years.