The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1876-02-07
To Encourage Fraud,

We are informed that the Committee on
Legal Affairs had agreed 10 withdraw bill
presented TO the House requiring aldermen
of cities to place the names of persons on the
voting lists when such persons make affidavit
to the effect that they are lawfully entitled to
vote. A bill was to be substituted which re-
quires the llermen of cities to be in session
five days and also on the day of election, to
rectify mistakes and grant certificates of the
right of the bearer to vote in any given ward.
This last bill is much less Objectionable than
the first. That is positively bad whether so
intended or not. 1t was presented by Mr..
Pike, with the view, perhaps, of meeting To-
cal difficulty such as might be experienced by
remote wards in city like Calais. Now
those who have had anything to do with the
poll lists in city the size of Portland well
know there are scores of men, who, under
the influence of the excitement attending
many elections would sign any kind of
paper if thereby they could get their names
placed on the list of voters. Scores now
claim the right before the aldermen who are
rejected, not on their own testimony, but by
other circumstances. 1t frequently happens
that men do not know what is required in
order to be voter. The unscrupulous and
the ignorant would sign any paper or make a
cross where they cannot write (which would
be more frequently the case) declaring that
they were voters when they did not possess a
legal qualification. The conscenceless can
vasser would devote himself to the lroduc-
tion OF affidavits to be signed by any person
he could get to do so who would first promise
to vote his ticket. The numerous class that
lost their papers years ago wouldsresort to
the affidavit and it would come about that
the affidavit which could be obtained for
nothing would entirely supersede naturaliza-
ton by the courts which now costs party
managers large sums of money. In short the
plan suggested by the Pike bill now on the
Speakers table on motion of Mr.. Cleaves,
not only opens wide the door to fraud but
even invites it. 1t should be entitled: can
act to enable non-residents, minors and aliens
to exercise the right of suffrage"
The other bill is less Objectionable 1t is
Objectionable principally because it is a waste
of time and has proved mischievous in this
city where it has been tried. The only OBJ
lection TO requiring aldermen of cities to be
in session five days for the revision CT poll
lists is that it is unnecessary since it is a
well-known fact that comparatively few ap-
plications are made the first and second days.
1t would be waste of time. Further, if the
the greatest care was not exercised by alder
men, certificates of the right TO vote might be
issued the day of election to men who had
once been found lot to be voters, or to the
unscrupulous, who, under the temptation of
the hour, when victory is doubtful, would
not hesitate to commit any fraud suggesting
itself TO them at the time.
No fair nan would oppose any legisla.
ton which would assist every legal voter to
get his name upon the voting list, but we are
not so near the thousand years of righteous.
ness on earth as TO offer temptations TO com.
nit fraud. The present law seems ample il
the opportunities which it affords are made
use of.
We trust, therefore, that the Legislature
will promptly defeat the first measure to
which we have referred, as it is dangerous in
the extreme, even if not intended to be mis-.
chievous.