Gold Hill daily news. [volume] (Gold Hill, N.T. [Nev.]) 1863-1882, 1865-08-08
THE REGISTRY LAW.

we 0UVE uGh1u oOAAS AASb NSoAHAAAAh
about this law, as n "hard" statute. Not
much grumbling, however, has come to
our cars ; and it is not particularly on ac-
count Of complaint that we now write.
But there seems to be q general misunder-
standing in regard to the prescribed neces-
sity of the law. Those who complacently
talk of its repeal at the next session Of the
Legislature, should be made aware Of the
fact that the Constitution of this State,-
Article II. Sections G and :, reads as
follows:
SEC. G. Provision shall be made by lGio for
the registration Of the names OF the electors
within the counties Of which they may be
residents, and for the ascertainment BY
proper proofs Of the persons who shall be en-
titled to the right Of suffrage, as hereby es-
tablished, to preserve the purity Of election,
and to regulate the manner Of holding and
making returns Of the same; and the Legis,
lature shall have power to prescribe BY law
any other or further rules or oaths as may be
deemed necessary rs n test or electoral
qualification.
SEC. 7. The Legislature shall provide by
law for the payment Of an annual poll tax Of
not less than two nor exceeding four dollars
from each male person resident in the State,
between the ages OF twenty-one and sixty
Years (uncivilized American Indians except
ed, one-half to be applied for State, and one
half for county purposes and W Legislature
may, in its discretion, make such payment q
condition to the right Of rotng.
II will be seen that the prescribing pay
ment of a poll tax of four dollars as con-
dition to voting or registration is the only
important discretionary power expressly
delegated to the Legislature, in the
premises. We think it well that il should
remain a required condition ; but that the
amount should be reduced to two dollars.
The present law needs amendment, in the
particular Of time and place for register
ing. Up to within ten days Of every
general, county and municipal election
should be given for privilege Of recording
names for suffrage; and the Tax Collector,
County Clerk, and all Justices of the
Peace. should be invested with authority
10 register voters at all times; being re-
quired to report to the Clerks Office every
week. With these amendments We think
the law would operate in q way to render
it exceedingly POPULAR it is deemed
by the intelligent exceedingly beneficial.
4. Registry Law is q good thing if for no
other purpose than to make men realize
their citizenship in some substantial pre-
liminary to their ballos-action. And it is
an absolute need against the gross frauds
that may be and usually are perpetrated
under the old system Of voting. Nevada
was specially fortunate in having this
clause in her Constitution. We should
say that o man who did not care enough
about voting to go to the trouble and ex-
pcnse of going up to the Clerks Office and
paying 90, had a very inadequate idea Of
the honor and dignity of American citizen
ship; and as for those who, under q pre-
tence of defended freedom will not
comply with the law, the o they emf
crate the better.
We repeat: Reduce the poll-tax to 80,
empower q convenient number of officers
&c register, entitle all to vote who duly
register ten days prior to an election. and,
in our judgment, the law will commend
itself to all as a permanent and wise rule.