The river press. [volume] (Fort Benton, Mont.) 1880-current, 1882-11-22
a. Law.

We desire 10 call the attention OF our
newly elected legislators to the need Of
a registration law for Montana. The last
legislative assembly amended the cleo
ton law 50 as to require q six months
residence il the territory before a person
became 8 legal voter, but without a reg
istration Law it is very possible and easy
to evade this provision. There in no
question in the mind o; every citizen
Of Montana that many persons were al
lowed to cast their ballots at the recent
election who had not resided n the ter
ritory six months prior to the day of
election. Some OF them may not admit
it openly, but they must own it to them
selves. Can any one believe that, six
months ago, the 200 and more persons
that voted in Miles City precinct were all
in the territory of Montana? But who,
when those railroad hands marched up
to the polls in gangs, could pick out and
challenge those even whom they might
have positively known to be ineligible
under the six months p~roviso. Had
there been a registry law in force Magin-
MIS- majority in Custer would have been
reduced nearly one-hali. Down in
Glendive there was no challenging, but
every man was allowed to vote who de-
sired to. There was no means Of know
ing how long many of them had been
in the country. In Missoula men were
voted who had been brought from Ore
gon, Washington and Utah within a
few months. Many cf the railroad con-
strnction hands on the West side had
finished the contracts on which they
were employed, and were kept here on
~ for the purpose Of securing their
votes; since the election = great number
Of them have left the territory and re-
turned to their homes in Utah. But the
votes Of these non-residents were receiv-
ed and counted, and had just as much
weight IS those OF old and permanent
settlers. Soldiers were voted at Miles
City who under 8 registration law would
never have been allowed to. This is a
STA LG III diJAiIS W 1lI1I ILL., 1tILCh vi 0lO1i-
tana can approve Of, not even those who
were elected to the legislature by these
same votas.
Down in Dakota the same state Of af-
fairs used to obtain, but a registration
law changed it 4 l, and enabled the peor
pie to delent the p olitical Sarnacles who
had retarded the pA 'ogress OF burle'ga
county. The BisnarcAS 11aoune, winch
has waged a gallant and >successfui nght
against the nominees Of both ring con-
ventions, speaking of the eIe> alon says
Two years age the steamer Bus, te and
ed at Bismarck. and her crew IL q lou
of men who had been engaged on gov
eminent work in Montana voted at Inc
landing. and some Of them in all three
wards in the city In addition. Men Were1
run back and forth between Bismarck
and Mandan, and soldiers and transienfs
were called into requisition. But the
registry law stopped all OF that business
The Emily, like the Butte two years
AFRO this fall, landed on election day, and
her passengers were brought to Bismarck
to vote i'll opposition to b citizens,
ticket, but the men vera ruled out and
went away. The registry law proved 9
barrier that could not we'll be overcome,
and its value was proven on Tuesday III
more than instance.
Had such a law been in force IN Mon
tana this fall, the voice of her people
would not have been stifled by the horde
of slaves which the bought up railroad
contractors marched up to the POLLS and
voted as they wished, and only unde
this law will a fair election ever be had
in this territory.
When our election laws were passed
there vas, perhaps, not much need q
Of such 8 law, but, now that the railroad