The new North-west. [volume] (Deer Lodge, Mont.) 1869-1897, 1882-10-13
WHO MAY AND WHO MAY NOT VOTE,

WHO May AND WHO MAY NOT VOTE,
Under the laws Of Montana ageneral cleo
tion will be held in this Territory Tuesday,
November I, 1882. The question of who Ii
aud who Is not an eligible voter deserves
more than usual interest from. the fact that
there are now In Montana several thousand
msn employed by the several railroad COM
panies In the construction of their rnads
whose eligibility Is In many instances ques.
tionable and that a heavy penalty Is provided
for illegal voting. The statute governing
this Is IS follows: . 49,, 9 ~
Sec. Is. Up. 6s, 18th Session Laws.) That
all male citizens Of the United States above
the age Of twenty-one years, aud all male
persons Oft the same age who shall have de-
clared their intention Of becoming citizens,
and who, under existing laws ~ the United
States, may ultimately become citizens
thereof, shall be deemed electors Of this Ter.
ritory, and be entitled TO vote for Delegate
TO Congress, aud for Territorial, Distric.,
County, Precinct, and municipal Offices !;
PrQr,ded, They shall have resided In the
Territory SIX months, aud In the county
Where they may offer 20 vote, thirty days
next preceding the day Of election. "
The qualifying clause OF president" in the
above 10 one on which many votes will de-
pend. While 1t Is unfortunate that odr
local elections may be temporarily con-
trolled, under loose defnision Of this
word, by those who have no intention Of
"residing" after they have voted in the
county or Territory where they voted, it il
beyond question that they must have resid-
ed six months In the Territory, and thirty
days next preceding the election in the
county where they offer to vote. The legal
construction Of the word PRESIDENT we do
not propose here to discuss, but We believe
1t not possible for an elector to acquire .
residence and right to vote In one State or
Territory whilst retaining residence and
right to vote In another Territory or State.
We have In this county At the present
time three distinct bodies of men employed
on railroad construction, viz: The one hum
dred or more men employed by Washington
Dunn q Co., under Mr.. L. J. Fisk, raising
the Northern Pacific grade between the
Mouth Of Blackfoot and Edwardsville;
the two hundred or moro men employed by
Cory Bros. In grading the road between
Mouth Of Blsckfoot and the chwomans,
and the one hundred or more men grading,
bridging and track laying on the U. Il N,
between Warm Springs and Mouth Of Black
foot. Ofthese, the employees Of Cory Bros.
brought from the Oregon Short Line are
certainly ineligible, not having been in the
Territory the required length Of time. or
the Others, many are residents Of Utah, re-
tanning their residence and right to vote
there, II they have such right, and We be-
lieve, therefore, ineligible. r...r 4....- -.
b This penalty for illegal voting is defined In
the following sections:g e -...s....t TO-
SEC. 56s.-R. 8. M. IT any person net
having the qualifications Of q voter shall
ftaudulently 80, or shall fraudulenLly
attempt to.<ypfe, At any election, such
person oh1eonyictiof, thereof, shah be
punished,by imprisonment In the Territorial
prison not lcss than one year nor more than
nye yeefs. ea "a xaag 1870 e"s'Ai"77
! The United States laws also provide pen.
laities for illegal voting In the Territories
when IL affects the election VI 1 Delegate.
We have no disposition to urge the rejection
Of tho vote of any qualified elector, whether
he vote The Democratic orRepubllcan ticket.
but urge the challenge Of every doubtful vote
irrespective of politics, that Is attempted TO
be placed In the ballot boxes OF any precinct.
Let us hive square election and then may
the man who gets the most votes win. II
will doubtless be necessary In many pre-
cincts TO challenge votes, and 10 should be
borneFin mind that under the law, nn one,
aside from the judges and clerk Of the pre-
clnct, Is qualified TO challenge, unless be him
self Is entitled TO vote At that poll. It should
be seen by both parties that men qualified to
challenge are Ut each poll on election day
and will give the matter strict attention. Y
We have In the above merely called atten-
tion to illegal voting, which may be done
ignorantly, and the method or challenge.
We have too much confidence In public SEN
timsnt and personal character to anticipate
that anywhere In Montana will there be any
ballot box stufing, force or forcible fraud.
We believe, however, In view Of the fact that
there are 80 many disqualified persons now
10 Montana who may attempt TO vote, that
The Commissioners of each county should
print and distribute sverywbere the main
sections Of the election law, that strict sur
selllance should be maintained 1t the polls,
Ind that every illegal vote should be ex-
alluded from the ballot box, or, n falsely
sworn In, that the perpetrators should be ar
rested, scsnvicted, and Imprisoned to the full
sxtsnt Of the Law. Let Us have 4 square
ieal or punish those who prevent II.
ITsEEMs there are cranky scientists ~
we'll - religIonists. Proctor, who was GO
Ing TO have tho world come to IN end LAST
rear through the conjunction Of the planets
has now cohpped around and anticipates II
will occur next year when the present COM
st returns and pops into the sun. Mr.. G. r.
Smith, The astronomer royal Of Scotland,
holds the same opinion. When one rides on
! railroad train II Is we'll to let the engineer
and conductor attend to the running OF IL,
and wheE one II fortunate enough TO be
born in this world II ID just . well to let the
Creator manage the spheres without concesn.