Daily Republican., 1880-01-21
YRsTENDAgs MUs.
QEsTION OF EEGIsTRATION.
The Argument Upon the Matter
Begun this MOrniDg-Wbat Mr.
Bates Thinks Of Ihe Law-Other
Ci,uunel EnR AEPU.

Counsel EnR aged.
At ten o'clock with full court room,
the respective sides on the question
raised in relation to the confirmation OF
supervisors, with huge piles of books
pyramidically arranged before them,
marshalled themselves preparatory to
beginning the argument. Messrs. Geo.
Gray and Geo. N. Bates represented the
ohjectors, while the petitioners were rep
resented by Mr.. Anthony Higgins alone.
After considerable discussion as TO
how the argument should be copd ucted, +,
Mr.. George NJ. Bates began. he re-
peated the question as to the construo-
tion and meaning of registration under
the act of Congress-" whether our
assessment means strictly registration
Of votersH For q meaning of the term
registration Of voters he called sttep-
tion to the national statutes, sections
20ll-20l2. There il broad distinc-
tion between registi alton OF voters and
mere qualification.
The law of registration is not a
general one and the trainers of this aot
had they desired to make its enforce
ment general would have incorporated
the language used in section zoos. In
the act of registration the man whose
name is entered the voter is entitled
to the act of franchise as is provided in
section 20l6 that the voters are enti-
tied to vote because the act of registra-
tion is evidence of the right itself. This
is the letter of the law. Turn to the
spirit of the law:
1t is to guard against false list be-
ing made SO that the putting on or
leaving off after the returns are closed.
Manifestly the picture that is presen-
ted to the mind OF candid man the
registration is place to where man
can put on his name so that he can
not be challenged at the polls; these
laws are conclusive of the mans
right 10 vote. There is another feature
in section 20lG which in connection
with either thought forms consistent
thing as presented in the modern law
book upon the act OF registration which
thing is sgreeably parallel in construc-
tion, as indicated by this particular
section.
A personal registration is here. The
law provides that supervisors are COM
PEELED to attend and take voters names,
in other words every man has to come
up and make application to register
and also those citizens who wish to
challenge the voters right to place
himself Oh the register, is authorized
to be present at the place of rSgistra-
ton to exercise that right.
In section 2,02l there is provided the
appointment of Deputy Marshals, who
are to be present to protect the super.
visors. By this it can be seen that the
one idea courses itself through the sta.
tute. In regard to the appointment of
these officers in section 2,0l3, that
when the Court is open the Court has
always to be open until the election.
Can it be seen that this law is to apply
to the machinery Of matters in this
State
Is it possible that there is such
provision that would compel the Court
to iemains in session nine months or
until day after the election. 1t is !
monstrous misapplisation of the law.
This could not have been intended for
it involves what is almost an absurdi-
ty. 1t can be seen by this that regis
tration is something which occurs i'm
mediately before elections.
The next thought Numerically op-
posed to an idea held by the petitioners
is brought out in the salaries of the su-
pervisors. According to the statutes
these officials are paid IS, a day for
period not exceeding ten days. This of
itself shows that the registration is
merely an official act which is short in
duration and which is something near
to and connected with the election.
The speaker referred to five qualifca-
tions for voter in this State, in the ana
lyzation of which he illustrated the
conclusion that the right to vote does
not issue directly from the assessment
Of voters (Which is the only term that
comes nearest to the application in con-
nection with registration, but that
tax per capita is required of each man
upon that assessment before he has the
right to vote, and hence thelwidely diff
ferent conception issuing from the mean
ing. as brought out by the respective
laws.
After thoroughly analyzing the
of the State statute in this
natter, Mr.. Bates closed with numer-
'us references bearing upon the regis I
ration laws and their legal meaning.
MR.. HIGGINS ARGUMENT.
Mr.. Higgins followed taking up at
'Hce the question whether the assess
nent Or qualification of voters in this .
state istregistration? He placed him.
elf upon%he constitutional provision
,r the fundamental law bearing upon