The Cairo bulletin. [volume] (Cairo, Ill.) 1872-1878, 1875-02-19
REGISTRATION OF ELECTORS.

An attempt. which we hope may be
successful is being made in the General
Assembly to repeal the act for the regis
tration of electors.
Last Winter an effort wa, made in The
Legislature TO wipe this law from the
statute books. The Republican members.
with great unanimity. resisted the effort
and made it a failure; but the opponents
Of the registry system compelled the Re
publcan~ to modify the law and make its
execution less expensive to the people.
In the attempt made by the friends Of
the law to modify it so that the clamor
for its repeal could bc stillcd. the law be-
came a very peculiar piece of legislative
| botch-work, as an examination Of itspro-
visions will prove.
The first section provides that the per-
sons authorized by law, or appointcdper-
slIant to any town or city ordinance. TO
act n judges or inspectors of election,
shall constitute Board of Registry for
their respective towns, cities,
wards, districts or precincts, and
shall meet on Tuesday, three weeks pre-
ceding any State election, and proceed TO
make q list Of all persons qualified to vote
AT the ensuing election in the election dis
stict Of which the several boards are the
judges or inspectors, which list when
completed, shall constitute and be
known as the register of electors of said
election district
Let us enquire what i, the effect Of this
provision of the law.
On Tuesday three weeks before any
State election the judges of election in
every election district in the State must
meet aud prepare list of
the persons in said district
qualified to vote at the next ensuing
election in each of said districts. The
Judges can meet as directed, but they can
not prepare the list of electors provided
for in this peculiar law. This will DC seen
by r,citing the actull operations Of the
law.
There are in Cairo two precincts and
five wards. In each precinct and in each
ward there are three judges of election,
Under the registry law the judges OF
election in South Cairo precinct and
in North Cairo precinct met on
Tuesday, three weeks before the State
election last November, and made list OF
| the persons entitled to vote at that elcc
ton. This list they revised on Tuesday
election. The judges in these precinct,
could make list of qualified voter,
under the law; they could detcrmu,
whether the citizen Offering to register
would, on election day, have been in tn,
State Il year, in the county ninety day,
and in the election district thirty DAYS
the qualification of AN clcctor being
residence of one year in the State, ninety
days in the county and thirty day in tn,
election district.
But on the same day-on Tuesday
three weeks before the November clcc
ton last fall, it was the duty of the judge
of election in the several wards of TIL
city 10 also meet and proceed to make
list OF persons qualified to vote in each o
the wards of Cairo AT the election
TO be held next April. The law direct
this to be done. 1t says: the judges o.
election in each ward shall meet on Tues
day three weeks preceding every STATE
election, and make list Of all person.
qualified 10 vote al the ensuing election
ia the election dislrict-lhe ward-u
which hey are judges. The election NJ y
ensuing IN The several wards of Cairo, af
election held IN November, j. the Apli
election. and therefore the judges of thts,
ward, are required by this law to max,
IN October Of one year u list OF person
| qualified 20 yotc-that Is 20 say, of per
sons who will have been one year in the
State, ninety day, IN Alexander county
and thirty days in one of the
wards Of Cairo-at an election TO be
held in April Of the next year six month,
after the list must be made How can
Til. be doneg How can 4
Board of Registry determine that Tom
Jones will have been a resident of the
FIRST Ward thirty days before an election
to be held six months after the board i,
required TO decide the matter?
Section 4 OF the law provides that Ia,
Board Of Registry shall meet ON Tuesday
Of the week preceding said elections, in
their respective election districts, for the
purpose of revising, correcting and com.
pletiqg said lists, 1t may be said thi,
provision OF the law correct,
the first section; but does it; The Judge.
Of the First Ward Of Cairo must meet on
Tuesday next preceding the city cleo