New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1869-07-12
REGISTRY LAWS AND TIE Judiciary

4 ihEUIDLhA AhHc AMI IHE JUUlCIdhJs
1t has been our painful fortune on several
occasions to be obliged to denounce the rascali-
ties of Pennsylvania elections, as sworn to by
competent witnesses before authorized Legisla-
tive Committees. In double, treble, and QUAD
ripple voting; in the stimulation of voters who
never existed, and of voters long before dead
and buried in fraudulent naturafzations; in
the tricks of the officers of the poll, Pennsyl-
vania, if she has not surpassed, has at least
kept even pace with New Y ork, and in some
of these respects New-York is hard to beat
Our neighbor State, however, is entitled to
the credit of at least attempting a thorough
reform of her elective system, and we are glad
to find that she has Supreme Court able and
willing to second her praiseworthy exertiOns.
majority of the Judges have backed up the
Registry law passed by the last Legislature
1t has been held: 1. That elections should be
free only to qualified voters; and 2. That cleo
tons should be equal. Therefore the Legisla'
ture has a right to determine who are qualified
voters, and to take care that their votes shall
be equal by arranging all the qualified voters
into suitable Districts They say;
That election equal electors
separated from false ballot deposited sasy
where suppsnted BY TO- therefore, the duty Of the Legs
freedom and equality BY sueh regulations will
clude unqualified and allow the qualified only vote"
The Court held that, as the Legislature "p0s'
sessed undoubted authority to regulate, it,
discretions could not be the subject of re.
Views" and it further held that, as TO Phila.
delphia, the provision for the appointment OF
Board of Canvassers was not an abuse OF
legislative power. SO the time of the assess
ment Of taxes belonged to the sound discretion
| Of the Legislature. The precautions against
colonization are also sustained The ASSESSOR
must, it is true, omit from their lists bOardeu
at hotels taverns, restaurants, boarding houses
&c. but the law does not forbid these omitted
persons from being placed on the registry al
the proper time and on the proper evidence
Persons not known as householders and fixed
inhabitants must come personally before the
BOaTd-that is all. The Judges properly say
When population Of locality constantly changing
often unknown their neItdoor beghbOB where large numb~
Is floating upon the rivers and the going and returning
Incapable dsuaeAOn inns rsstsuant boarding
houses constantly afford the Of fsudn; additions to the lists
what rule Of sound Of constitutional s forbds the
Legislature from providing distinguish the honest people
Philadelphia from the Gsd vasAbOnds who would usurp tbet
placss and rob them Of their rights y .... .. ....
Nobody can object to this who does not want
to cheat, either for his own purposes or those OF
his party. "The only kind of liberty" says
Judge Agnew, (which the Registry law will de.
"stroy is that Righteousness, that adulterOui
freedom which surrenders the polls to hireling,
"and vagabonds, Outcasts from home and honest
industry; menl without citizenship or stake ia
"the Government; men who will commit per-
Jury, violence, and murder itself" This is ex.
actly true, logically and morally; and we put il
upon record because it is truth which, sooner
or later, we must recognize and act upon in
this Inflated city, unless we wish to fall into
the lowest depths of anarchy and public insol.
vency-unless we mean always to submit to
lmtless taxatiOn-unless we are ready to be for
ever swindled out of our votes by rogues in
broadcloth and vagabonds in no cloth at all.