Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1873-01-25
OLYMPIA, SiTreDlT MORNING. jan. q, 1873

OLYMPIA, SiTleDlr MORNING. jan. q. 1873
s ---------------
MUNICIPAL REGISTRATION OF VOTES.
We observe that the Town Clerk has
issued hand-hill notifying all persons
DESTROYS of voting a. the municipal cleo
ton of next April, to come forward and
register their names. This is proper,
as there are many who have come to
town since the last election who will he
entitled to vote upon complying with
the law. and still others who having
changed their wards, will have to regis
ter anew; but We understand the au-
thorities to hold that registration last
year will not be considered registration
for the election of the present year.
The question is an important one, and
il the Board of Trustees hold the views
indicated, they should say so in unmis-
taxable language, instead of merely cit
ing the law, as In the Clerks notice
aforementioned. The following is the
law as laid down in the Town Charter:
Article 3. See. 5.-The present clerk of the
Board of Trustees and his successors III
office. shall keep book in his office in which
all the voters of the Town shall register their
they reside, at least thirty days before the
annual election. And the said clerk shall
provide the judges of election in Gao ward
with a list o.! the registered voters in such
l,t,f y-Dtn lNytS 70 "a
shall lie allowed TO vote.
We can see nothing in this language
which would seem to require the voter
TO register his name every year Ii it
was registered last year, and he has not
changed his residence, certainly he has
satisfied the language of the law, which
requires him to register " at least Miry
da,e before me annual elFcttOn." If the
intention was that he should register
his name annually, it would have been
very easy to have said so. If the Town
Board can say that the meaning of the
law is that the voter shall register his
name at least thirty and not more than
three hundred and sixty-fve days be-
fore the annual election, there is no
reason why it might not fix the maxi
mum at any other number of days and
should it see fit limit the registration to
single day.
If the language of the law does not
warrant the construction said to be
placed upon it by the Town Board
neither does the reason assigned for its
passage by the Legislature, which was
that it was intended to prevent tran.
sient men and those residing outside OF
the corporate limits, from voting at on,
charter elections. The man whose
name was registered last year would
have better evidence that he was bono
.fde cold settler" than the one whose
registration dated no further back thar
thirty days; and in case any designing
and ambitious person should attempt te
carry an election by imported votes, the
presumption is that they would be thir
ty-day men, as he would not likel,
choose to pay their board and lodging
longer than he could help.
IGNORANT MAN!-Some forlorn bach
elor in Wisconsin, has proposed" tt
Mrs. Duniway, of the Ne,v Northwest
under the impression, probably, thai
she is lone-hearted spinster. We in
deed pity his powers of discernment
To mistake our versatile, loquacious
warln-hearted friend for a vinegary ole
maid, is terrible blunder. But heal
how gracefully she can say no, whe1
occasion requires:
eve laid your letter before our other half
who raised such decisive objections to an af
firmative answer that, under the cireumstan
ces, we think it best to decline the honor vol
have SO graciously rendered us. AS to tina
stun ana nonsense about "undying affec
tion"-bah! It's only. a little moonshint
which you have cu1tiyated-an abnormal
growth with no heart init. Lett die. Whc1
we were young and sentimental we believed
n these things but experience has taught III
their value; not that we underrate romano,
and sentiment-they'r splendid food fo
young folks-but for men and women vergin.
upon forty, common sense is far better"
@ The official Elephant was very il
Inst Monday, and for some time wa
scarcely expected to recover, from
virulent attack Of tick-dollar-owe. 4
timely application of shin-plasters ha
placed it on it's feet again, but it ha
tire blind-staggers and threatens to fal
at every step. The stock holders de
clare that this continually "goin.
down" into ones pockets is becomin,
monOtonous.