Marshall County Republican. (Plymouth, Ind.) 1856-1878, 1867-01-17

itants above twenty-One years of age in
each.
This provision is positive and mandatory
i'm its character and requires this General
Assembly to appOrtion Senators and Rep
resentaiives among the several counties in
the State, according TO the number Of
white male inhabitants above twenty-one
years of aye in each.
The State for full six years has been
without a law apporIioning Senators and
Representatives in the several counties.
During that time members of the General
Assembly have been elected by common
consent and from necessity, upon the basis
of the old law.
White these elections are really without
authority of law, bat from necessity must
be received as legal, the b isis made by the
old superintendent, has by lapse of time
and changes of population become grossly
inequitable.
The relative population of counties and
Senatorial and Representative Districts
has in many cases become so greatly al
tered as 10 conflict utterly with the theory
of representation prescribed by the Consti-
ton.
As the General Assembly is now in pos
session of the proper data upon which to
make an apporionment, | trust that du
~ will be fully performed befoie your final
adjournment.
REGISTRY LAW.
'ihc purity of the ballot box is essential
to the maintenance OF free Institutions. In
so far as it is corrupted, it not only fails to
express the will of the people but defeats
their will, and places the political and civil
power in the hands of fraudulent holders. If
We would have the decisions oi the ballot
box respected and the voice ofthc maiori
ty peacefully obeyed, il must he by making
our elections an honest exposition OF the
peoples viii, an exposition SO fairly and
certainly made as to leave in the public
mind no want of confidence in its integrity
But upon that subject need not enlarge. as
there is not a member of this General As
semhly who does not fully comprehend IFS
vital Importance. and | will proceed at
once to the consideration of the evil for
which, if possible a remedy should be
found
Ii is a notorious fact That under our cleo
ton laws, men go to the polls and vote.
who n; the time have not the right 10 vote
anywhere: that men vcte in prccints and
townships where they do not reside. and
often vote several times on the same dV,
at different places, and sometimes at the
same place.
TIE oath which is prescribed by law to
I've administered 10 persons, whose votes
are challenged, HIS been found practically
TO furnish but little security against lradu-
lent voting.
The statue provides. that if taken. il
shall be conclusive as to the rights of the
person to vote. and no other evidence shall
/ be received to impeach its truths
In cities and precinis where the vote is
! large; it is administered in haste, and is re-
ccircd bY those who are intent ON fradu-
| lent voting as an empty form. which car
ries with il no terrOrs. and to which little
attention is paid. The only remedy for
! this evil. in my judgement is the enactment
of a law requiring all legal voters to be reg
istered. in books prepared for that purpose,
and before such officers, and in such man.
ner and form as may be prescribed. Such
registry to be completed by Il certain time
before the election. kept al a known place,
and exposed to public Inspection. that er-
rors may be corrected and frauds detect
ed.
II has been said. however, that under the
Constitution Registry Law cannot be
adopted The Constitutional provision is
these words:
..iRrIcLE |. SECTION ?. In all clcc-
tions not otherwise provided for by this
CONSTITUTION. every white male citizen OF
the United States. of the age of twentv-onc
years and upwards. who shall have resi-
led in the State during the six months
limme,li ;tely preceding such election; and
every white male of foreign birth. OF the
4 l. -lo
I shall have resided in the United States one
wear. and shall have resided in this State
during the six months immediately prece-
i,iing such election, and shall have declared
his intention tn become citizen of the
United States. conformably TO tlle laws OF
the United States on the subject of natur-
alizatiOn. shall be entitled To vote in the
township, or prccint where he may re-
side"
From this it will appear that persons
otherwise qualified have the RIGHT TO vote, II
they are residents of the township or pre-
cinl on the day of the election. and have
had no previous residence therein, whence
IL has been said that a law requiring reg
istry on dav previous to the day of elcc-
ton would be unconstitutional. There, is
i'm nv opinion, no force in this objection
The question as to the way and n amer OF
proving residence is entirely within the
control of the Legislature. 1t NAV by law
require verbal proof as it now does, or. il
NAV require the evidence to be in writing.
! II NAV accept of the oath of the person
proposing to vote as conclusive, or, il may
reject his oath altogether, and require the
testimony of other persons. The Lecisls-
ture has. from time to tine, regulated the
competency of witnesses and the form of
giving testimony i'm courts of Justice, in
some cases requiring tito he in written de
positions taken out of court, and in others
the personal presence of the witnesses
before the court and Jury. 1t certainly has
eonal power to determine in what manner
tie proof of residence shall be made before
an election board.
All persons claiming the right to vote
who are residents of the township or pre-
ciut. at time certain before the election
say thirty days, can be legally required TO
have their names registered. in such place
and such manner, and form, as may be
prescribed. and the registry thus made to
constitute the legal evidence of their quail
! ficasiOns and right to vote For such per-
sons who claim 20 have acquired resi-
dcnce within the township, or precint.
within thirty days before the election, or
on the day of The election, special proyis-
ion cen be made
| The Constitutional provision of Illinois
upon this subject is as follows
/ ARTICLE H. SECTION |. In all cleo
tions, every white male citizen above the
age oftwenty-o one years. having resided in
the State one year next proceeding any
election, shall be entitled to vote at such
election: and every white male inhabitant
of the age aforesaid, who MAJ he resident
of the State at the time of the adoption of
/ this Constitution, shall have the right Of
voting as aforesaid; but no citizen or in
babitant shall be entitled to vote, except i'm
the district or county in which he shall ac-
.ually reside at the time of such election"
1t will be seen that upon the subject of