The Dallas daily herald. [volume] (Dallas, Tex.) 1873-1887, 1874-03-17
CITY REGIsTRATION-CI CITIZENS OF
DALLAS, READ THIS AND JUDGE
FOR YOURSELVES.


On the 18th of this month, March,
1874, an net Of theleglslature became u
law, entitled "An act to provide for
the registration of voters In all the In
oorporated towns and cities not other
wise provided for by law"
The second section Of said act says,
at shall be the duty of the corporate
authorities Of each town and city IN
this state, not otherwise provided for
by law, to cause to be registered and to
be entered In book provided for the
purpose, the name of every person
within the corporate limits of their re-
spective towns or cities who is entitled
to vote under the constitution and laws
of this state"
Now, we have simplyto say that this
new law has no reference whatever to
the city of Dallas, for the manifest
reason that, so far rs Dallas is con-
cerned, 1t was already "othcr@iSc pro-
pidcd for By low."
Sections twelve and fifteen of the
amended charter ofthe city of Dallas,
fully cover the case. Any citizen of
either ward of Dallas, who has regis
tered as Il voter of Dallas county, at
any time since the charter passed last
spring, or who may so register before
the district clerk, prior to the city cleo
ton on the 7th of April, Is and will be
legal voter in his proper ward at the
city election. ~.
The object of the law approved on
the 18th of this month was to remedy
defects in town elections in the state
where no provision existed for city reg
istration. Charters to other towns
We're granted without any registration
provisions being inserted. But in Dali
las, we repeat, at is otherwise provid-
ed for" and every registered voter OF
Dallas who lives in either ward of the
city Of Dallas is alegal voter in his own
ward at our ensuing city election.
TIfthe city council is disposed to act
rightly, they will rescind their work of
last Saturday night on strictly legal
grounds. But, that we may not be
misunderstood, and rs the writer of
this and not the publisher of the HER
AID, is responsible to public opinion
for this article, we desire to say that If
by their action on Saturday night con-
fusion arises leading to appeals to the
legislature for redress of grievances,
on their heads and not on the
democratic party Of Dallas will the
blame fall. n,
We deny in toto that this new law
applies to Dallas We assert, ON the
other hand, that the present registra-
ton ofthose voters living within the
wards of Dallas, is legal and binding,
and We warn any election officer who
refuses their votes, that he is paving
the way to a residence In the state PEN
itentiary. The fact that ourlate county
court, by an oversight (innoeent be-
You'd doubt added, some outside terri
tory TO eachAward asan election pre-
cinctof the county makes ITO differ
ence. 1t viii be~the business of the
election officer in each ward, whenever
man offers to vote, to ascertain two
facts and two only:
First--Is he registered as q voter in
this precinct?
Second-Does he live in this ward?
This is all. The action of the city
council on Saturday night is null, void
and of no effect.
We will say that, as we understand
ii, the city council, on Saturday night,
on the mistaken notion that the new
law applied to Dallas, appointed one
man to register all the voters of the
city, requiring citizens of all four wards
Gas the radicals did whole counties) to
go'to one place, the city market, and
reregister-a thing almost impossible
between now and the election. We
tell the democrats of Dallas to have
nothing to do with this unlawful and
unauthorized registration. Stand by
the registration you have already
made. 1T is legal and right.
We notify those in authority that If
they,persistI h what we believe they
have endorsed by mistaken appre-
hension Of the law and facts, and there
by defeat the will of the people in the
coming election, then the democrats of
Dallas, bodily, will apply to the legisla-
ture for the enactment of such law as
will insure the election of, a city gov
ernnent by the people of Dallas-the
bona fide voters of Dallas---freed of all
extraneous influence and all trickery in
registration. The democrats OF Dallas
will not submit to be governed. by any
set of men not freely and fairly chosen
in an open and honest election.I
To conclude. We hold that the pres
ent registration, as hereinbefore ex-
planned, Is legal and valid, that the
latea law. 0f thu legislatora docs mt