The state rights democrat. [volume] (Albany, Linn County, Oregon) 1865-1900, 1865-12-09
TIE REaIarnY nAw.

! tho Registry law introduced in tho Senate
last Wednesday by Dir. Cranston Of Ian,
county, and Gsk the especial attention Of
our readers TO it. We think all viii agree
that it is tho most infamous Bill ever pre-.
sented for the consideration of a delibera.
tive body, From information derived
from intelligent sources we expect the
Bill will pass and receive the sanction oil
the Governor.
Tho brief time the copy of the Bill has
been in ON possession precludes US FROM
reviewing It's %atrocious features as fully
as we desire. II provides for the appoint.
ment of a Register to every voting pre-
%cinct, by the County Courts, and those
Registers are TO sit to receive the names
ofrotcrs for thirty days, the closing day
of tho sitting 10 be thirty days prior to
the day of election. These provisions
place it in the powOr OF the County Judges
to appoint any tool Of their own as Regis.
tcrs, aud work the greyious wrong Of dis
franchising every voter who may not be
able to call at the Registry Office during
the allotted thirty days. A bona fje
voter. who may be "a resident of any given
~precinct, il absent during these thirty
days, or sick, or from any cause is unable
to attend during that period at the Reg
istry Office, cannot vote, even though he
were to return, or was enabled to call for
the registry Of his name, on the twenty.
ninth day precedieg the election, or on
any subsequent day.
Again, voters who are, under the Con-
sttation and present law regulating cleo.
tons, entitled TO vote for State and Dis.
trict officers out of their own precinct, if
through business or other causes, absent
from their place of residence on tho day
of election, arc DISTINGUISHED. To be al.
lowed the right to vote a citizen must not
only have been a resident Of his precinct
the constitutional and lawful time, but he
must have his name on the registry book
from sixty to thirty days before the cleo
ton; and after this registering of his
name he must take the infamous oath pre-
scribcd in this Bill, at the polls, or have
his vote rejected.
A startling feature Of this Bill is that
it surrcndcrs entirely to the discretion or
option of tho Registers, the right to rc-
cord or reject the mama Of tho applicant,
and, in case of tho refusal of any Register
to record the name Of an applicant, the
latter has no appeal from his decision, no
recourse against tho officer for tho gricy.
GUS outrage upon his highest right as a
citizen. The Registers authority is sn-
prone and anal he can record or reject
the name of q known voter at his pleas
ure, will or caprice, aud yet go entirely
~unpunisaed for the high-handed tyranny
which destroys the citizens right of sui
fsage. The officer is invested with the
utmost power, without limit whatever,
and yet is relieved from responsibility in
any shape for the faithful performance Of
his duty. There cannot DO found a par
allel for this monstrous provision on the
statute books of any State in the Republic.
It is borrowed from absolutism, and is
most destructive in its operation.
Again, it is required of every voter
that he shall, before being permitted to
vote, take the infamous oath prescribed.
And after he does this, it is left apparent
" to the option or caprice of the Election
|, Judges whether or not his vote shall be
J received. The Bill assumes for its chici
} object the security of the election against
the votes of persons lately from the re,
t bellious' or disloyal' States, who par
ticipated in or sympathized with "the re.
bcllion." IF this were really the object Of
its trainers, why did they not confne the
prescription of the oath, or the latter por.
: ton of it, exclusively to emigrants7 They
have not done this; but, ON the contrary,
compel the citizen who has resided in Ore
gon for twenty years steadily to take the
full oath equally with the rebel" lately
t came from a " rebel!ious'' State.
| But there is a latent poison in the oatl
r which is cunningly directed against the
old Democratic voters of Oregon in order
] that they may be DISTINGUISHED. It j.
. charged by the Abolitionists that there is
or has been, a "secret organization" o.
Democrats in this State, which is or wa.
" reasonable" and it is against any ant
all who may belong or who did belong tt
that organization, n especial clause il
the oath is directed. We would gladl,
have that clause strictly and justly ad
ministered, for if it be, every member
of the reasonable and damnable Loya
s League-and nearly every Abolitionist ii
$ Oregon has been or is a member of it,
: would be inhibited from voting. But tn,
rule will not be justly applied. It vii
be directed only against Democrats. Thus
d if q Democratic citizen presents himsel
3 before the Register Of his precinct for tn
e purpose of having his name registered