The semi-weekly miner. [volume] (Butte, Mont.) 1882-1886, 1883-01-31

A. ut the 0uch talked Of aDattel
q legis1sttoa ~ . registry INV ~
ut ma6e it, appsosoaoe % tbs jegis'
dive csspet: hewsvef. u may net b
ost a Place % offer . ~ saggsstiona
| on the proposition. One Of the ile)u-
sive aryun,euts used In support
AZ ssch . law b the impossibility 81
ffaui under Il. There cannot be .
more fearful mistake. 6ucb 1aWvare
aid, rather, to reducing frauds to
. Ane science. The most stupe1d"us
htauds of modern times have been
pespetsated under the most stringent
registry laws. Election frauds vii
pgs,Gably continue to thwart the pop
ular will until the arrival Of the mill
lenium, when w will need no laws
o. courte or olIlcials, aud ~ elections
to carry out the fanetiOs's II govern
uleut.
Regislry laws In large cities. where
the voting psecinc,s are l'ecesasriIy
not remote aud the voters Il we'll
known to each other, sr~ some check
10 repeating; yet, fDr all that, ossa-
nise<l repeaters secure the regtsara-
ton VI fictitious names In the several
wards, aud thus defeat the law. But
In such . country ~ this, where The
precincts are generally remote, aud
the voters usually we'll acquainted.
the only effect Of . registry law would
be to disftanchise thoss WHO
had neglected to registry;
md these would be mainly
our best citisens. 1t would be one
II the ceetajnties Of the law that aiI
Paid strikers and the purchaaable !;
rouuders am,l drOues
4 the com0unity-wOuld I've En,ud
~ the registrars looks, with their
platters right side up.
In the outlying co:,nties aud
'parsely settled communities election
rauds are unavoidable. Registry
avs will aid rather than cure them.
There frauds can only Le circumvcnt-
d through the aetiou Of political
,artiss In sending Intelligent mes
eaGess to every precinct established
. every county. This has been the
'sactjce In ths Territory irr,n the
nrlest times, and there has been little
ppogtunity f:r fraud In these
'laces, except In places where the
were tampercd with.
he n,agnit ude Of election frauals In
his Territory have ever bsen magni-
|ed.
live had In this Territory auy cit
y Of 1000 or even lO,0O iubaLit-
nts. registry law would not Ire un-
bjsctiOnable for them; but there can
e no good reason for such law, aud I
here will certainly be much expense
with its machinery. Cit-
'SusO OS0 SSsVS OO0IG OOy tS0StUC-
ons placed upon the exercise Of
,eir rights. They may be engrossed
! the cares Of business, or temporar.
y absent. or remote from the regis
sr's Office, and neglect registration
I'll this l0se their votes. Statistics :.
sow that only about three-liftbs Of i
70 qualified population habituallv a
,te. The tw0.llltlss not voting are '
'e best citizens except In The matter :
their indifference to public affairs. e
very man who iuterrogxtes his own
knows that the law
y, idle and vicious always vote.
very inducement should be created
the law-n,aking power to secure I
expression on public matters from, i
e better class. Under . registry 4
Y politicians and candidates will !,
= to It that the votes they can con. II
d, corruptly or otherwise, asv rer- q
cred. There should he no stu,mb- v
q blocks In the way Of the exer- e,
= Of the elective franchise ty the