Gold Hill daily news. [volume] (Gold Hill, N.T. [Nev.]) 1863-1882, 1866-10-17
THE CITIZENS DUTY.

If he is eligible, he should become a
Then he should vote when the
day Of election arrives. All exceedingly
and obvious-an injunction that
can be laughed at, perhaps, BY many, on its
repetition. Conscience and partisan desire
both, or alike, seem sufficient to constrain
every man who can do so to register and
ballot. But observation has shown that
the latter named consideration is oftenest
FIRST in urging a compliance with the prin-
cipal duty Of a citizen in our Republic,
and that to those who are moved BY deeper
considerations there is not infrequently
special need for reminding Of and pressing
to the exercise Of the elective franchise.
We submit, some home thoughts for our
people; well knowing that they will be
accepted in good nature, II they are not
deemed Of necessary utterance to stimulate
registration At the present time.
The people of Storey county have on
several occasions, and very properly and
very Gm~phatically, exhibited jealousy Of
their rights as voters. In Virginia City,
for instance, two years ago, when our
legislators attempted to name city officers
ian act which had once been committed,
in very early times, without exciting a
murmur Of diSapprobation)-an indigna-
ton meeting was held. And though q
large majority Of the tax-income was rep
resented on a I petition endorsing the act OF
usurpation, and although no sinister mo-
tive was, from any respectable source
attributed to the legislators supporting the
measure, the voice Of the people, in protest,
claiming that they were disf%ranchised,
was heard, and the obnoxious bill failed
to pass by a requisite two-third vote
This sensitiveness to their right on the
part Of the qualified voters is eommenda-
BILE, and will be so acknowledged and ap-
preciated everywhere. But the tally lists
showed hundreds Directing to the passage
Of the measure referred to, who had not
participated in the two preceding cleo
tons in city and county. Even then,
when there wa no registry law, the duty
Of the citizen was grossly neglected, a.
discovered on investigations made during
the tendency of the Mayor and Aldermen
appointing charter.
To-day, in Gold Hill and Virginia,
there are scores Of men who have not
registered, who express indifference to
the coming election results, or who feel
" safe" about them and from sheer Indo-
lence neglect to place their names on the
poll-books. Some Of these men deserve
to have their names paraded in print, as
wilfull neglec,ers Of their duty as citizens
qualified or eligible to vote. We know
that many Of them are strongly Union in
sentiment, and would experience mex
prsssible pain if the Co~pperheads should
carry the State. Yet they are not regis
tered, and we are told on unqusstionaol'
authority that yesterday or the day before,
when solicited to go and lay their pol
tax receipt before the Justice Of their pre-
cinct, they returned such excuses, for re-
fusing so to do, as the invited banquet'i
guests in Scripture parable returned to
the summoning messengers Of the Lord oil
the house.
We are anxious to say, at this time,
that if any man hereafter publicly COM
plains of immediate or ultimate or indi-
rect evil results, in his Judgment, Of the
near approaching election, who has moi
registered or voted this Fall, when be
could have done so, we will herald his cry
and expose his -ecreancy to citizen duty
Now there ought not to DO . solitary
individual, not one, competent to vos'
in Storey county, who is not so made
and who does not cast his ballot on th'
9Th OF November next. There is no use
in or desire to disguise the fact, that il ,
man is unable to pay his poll-tax, repre-
senta.iyes OF both parties in the conte''
are ready to furnish him with the rsqui'
site four-dollAr document. And we can
not think that there are many men d
once too poor and too proud to procure
p~oll-tax receipt. There is no excuse or
earth for 4 person entitled to a vote IL
Storey to miss counting ono on the tally,
unless sickness or absolutely necessary
absence on the day Of election prevent.
We know that the large majority Of men
in Story are Union, but we conjurs al Of
whatever political proelivitieS or afRIia.
tons, to make ready and Ere q ballot on
Tuesday, Nov. 9th. Then shall we hope
to see the Democracy in their largest force,
discounted and demolished BY a majority
that will teach them that while it is . first
duty to register, it will be always in the
power Of the Union organization here to
mt them in thu yocAtiye,