New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1859-08-10
DRILL.

the vital Importance of tbe Registry Law 1t IS
| rot only thing for which, as party, we have
worked hard, ard for which had we not got it, We
should have worked still harder but il ls a thing
for which We are responsible to the whole country,
ard which We are bound to show in practice to be
as necessary for the purity of election as We have
in theory declared il to be- The Snsvery aud ruf-
fanism at the balotbOx in past times have been a.
pslpable a. the box ITSELF honest men have been
cheated Of their rights, and timd men driven iron
the assertion Of them The party 10 which by a
natural affinity the most knaves and ruff aus eraT-
itste has been the gamer; tue party that has the
most honest men, ard the most quiet citizens VINO
never get INTO a row if they can help ii, has been
the loser We have asserted thst Registry Law
would cure this evil, as the want of one permitted
it TO go unchecked and unpublished. We have OBJ
tanned such law; let US make the most OF it,
prove our assertion, correct crying abuse, and
restore both purity and power to the elective
franchise
The Registry Law will not execute itself We
have 10 right to assume that the officers intrusted
with its execution will not do the best they can and
knows but, granting this neither have We the right
to assume-we should be fools if we did-that It's
enemies will not do all in their power to render it
imperative, to make it unpopular, to hinder it
from good, to force it to do evil And all this not
because this particular law is obnoxious to them,
but because they fear and hate any registry as
thief does a Waterman, though they will all the
tine assert that it is not TO Registry Law that they
are opposed but that this special enactment is mis-
chieyous and worthless. It's friends are bound,
therefore, to show, not only that the act can and
Will work a great change in our elections, but to
defeat these, its enemies in the efforts which they
will undoubtedly make 10 use 1t as an Instrument
for its OVID destruction, and to render it impossible
that we should eGer have another. Not only
should all opposition to ibe system in general be
oyerwhelmed, but all ciyl at the operation of thus
particular act should be so sbamed and silenced
that it shall never again be considered an open
question in this State, whether it is possible to
hold an honest election without fair register.
But this is not TO be done without effort. There
must be q determined purpose, systematic organ
izaton, and Jealous work, and the work mus De
begun now. In every election district IN the
State in town and country, meetings should be
called in some convenient place, by notices which
every eector is sure to see, inviting all to gather
together who desire that elections shall be carried
by legal votes, for thorough organization TO
render the Registry Law effective. That and that
only should be the purpose of the organization, and
no other should be permitted to be mixed up with
il. Its sin le object should be to make out fail
and accurate list of all the voters of the district
A full and accurate list of all the voters in the
district without distinction Of party, at no matter
what cost and trouble. Spare no pains to secure
this accuracy and completeness Disregard no
man suggestion. Invite everybody advice where
there is no doubt of its friendliness Turn not
deaf ear even to bores and fools. Bores and fools
have neighbors with the night of voting, AID Tot
unfrequently possess that right themselves Go
TO the Family Bibles, if need be, to learn who las
come of age since the last election. Pry into the
affairs of all new corners, whether natye or
foreign at least so far TO learn the date OF th,r
arrival, and whether they are or are not entitled
TO the exercise of the elective franchise. For
once, ignore all politics. No matter whether
man be slaye-trader, Fire-ea.er, Black
take his name and his residence, street court,
and number, highway, bywsy, or lsue. Put him
down on the list in fair, lesjble characters, not
only that every body can resd Alright, bat that no
body can read wrong. Let it be the duty OF every
man in the organization, bound 70 carry out the
law. 10 see that the list contains, without mistake
as TO Christian name or surname, the name OF every
~
your neshbor 10 commit no errors And II by
some unlucby chance an error should occur, let It
be in the name of Republican, and not OF an
enemy Permit no man VINO hates the Re slstry
Law to have i. in bis power to point u |, and say
that because of it he has been deprived of his RICH.
to vote, or that it has been in any degree, however
slight, AN impeachment in the way Of his exercise Of
that right.
Ii will be remembered that Il is the duty OF the
Inspectors of elections TO prepare list of voters
and that they are 10 meet twice, tRe first time on
Tuesday three weeks. the second tone on Tuesday
one week, preceding the election, to make andcJm
plete their Register. They will Of course perform
that duty but viii perform il we'll or i'll ac-
cording to their capacity and their inclination.
Ii must be made practically of mle I'M
portance how they perform il, except as
test of ability ard disposition. TIE list which the
rleid DIS of the law should provide should be laid be-
fore them at their first meeting. II they do no.
need il TO correct their own, so much the better.
Ii they do need it. then here is the next duty: to
see that they do correct the Official LIST, honestly
ard carefully Let no. this duty be lief, 10 the sec
ond meeting Of the Inspectors, week before the