New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1884-07-28
B0rRB0Y ELECTION METHODS.
HOW "REFORMp WORKS IN NORTH CAIRO
LIMA


FARCE. - -,,,,xr
tr,o,, An orc ,s,oy A. oRRrsrOSDENT or THE Iho
RALEIGH. y. c.. July 1.-THE system VI ooH go.
and township government Is ~ uh-ue',io' -,
| this state rs it is possible To maze i' n,;.'.
vestigr of control by the people or Oh
! to the people has been usurpeI ny ''o ~ "''''
| The iusticcs of the peace are eiecteh ny wv ''7
I ture TO the number of six thousand a'u WV -,
IA Democrat. In turn the commissioners oi the
several counties are elected by the JUSTICES " '"o
ncacc. The commissioners appoint one registrar
and four inspectors or judges Of election Tor eacn
pollinr place. and where possible" two oil tue III,
! .pectors are of n different political party vi
| the n,nety-seyen counties In the H'nc
| o,oba1 have n majority of Republicans
| notwithstanding this fact overy comfy coi''nN
! sionor Is a Democrat. There arc 30 townships ="
! fine STATE and one-haf of these contain u h'P"'''
| can majority, but notwithstanding TINS lact c'''S
Justice of the peace and every school comulS''"',
of the several townships are Democrats ,
| the majority Of the election OllcerS al o'''S 20:
place are Democrats, which puts the ehtrc oioo''''
| machinery IN the hands Of the Demo'ral%
| When the commissioners were elected by tne pro,
,lo .bo olcction officers were about equally DIVIDED
and no charge of cheating, fraud, aud tissue p"o''
| uut;l the prcsent election law was Droushi in'o
nlav to prevent free registration, far DaHo' an"
| an honest count Ate. the present county Eo'''"
| meut system ras put into working orHer INC c'''
| tIon law was changed so as TO WORK tLe new '9'
tenn for all IT is worth in the interest Oh INC ,o
bons. The following part of section Z'o9V VI Wv
North Carolina code, is fair sample OF tho Wv
ton law enacted for the purpose oil pieFeu'"s
| free registration of voters: 81.
Tho cadence Of a married MAJ shall be where ms
en-, rsifcU and Thai of a single where he boales
| and cleeos. and should any single man hoafd ID oic
rd and sccp IN another then his residence sht ~
| 1 hc va iOTu
reg .ter vote IN any other "AIu Oh @ rrI sr prc
int to vjch he shall have removed Tor the mere p
pose or being therein, nor unitss nis I uv
therein is actual aud bOHG Hdf Anu II 'lt'i a,.sted
Of he registrar or Judge Of election, when Lelo',eI
ny bystander 10 swear any I To bavr placed IN
ser or vote to his residence ana 10 ~ and any
v-ritirr .nno.te Lsn me the word " s"oih anu on!
at any other place than ina, Oh s @ i laws Of this
snail he guilty o q crime infamous pS tie u. VI 900 or
i,"p.o at hard Labor exceeding Two years. %
| both, in discretion 81 the court
Then again, in order 20 hinder, delay anu "',.''
| reoistration. section 1851 of the North Carolina
code provides as follows:
Every person vino snail present himself lo[ II,i
DON ii nj - tc under oath how long he mas con nv
re-ecd III thi- stat aud IN ne conn.,, -, harm. when he
T,c,ne tvrnty-oue years OF age; whether malled Sl
sage and where or WIZ WLoh lie ,uj,. The an
rcuur.t of any ctctSr the registrar s.aH ~ ~.
plicant to prove his identity or age anu ~ '
testimony OF at least cue electer under oilh
The election law as pa 'scd by the Eepu'llcdn9
|
election dav who had been previously registered
bpt the present election law. Section 26s3' pro
vides that ON the day Of election any eiector may
ard tho ud0es Of election shall challenge the Vole
| ofanv person who may be known or suspected not
70 he a duly qualified voter" This provision
was made for the purpose OF chlliene-
! ing az polling places where tho hepupIie'nS
have large majorites to hinder and delay vol
ing so that when the polls are closed at shutdown
| a large number of Republicans may not have nech
| able to vote This game has been successfully
practised IN Ncr hampton, iicrtford HailiaN ana
other couutie, III this state. Section Z'oo4 upon
the subject Of challcnging provides:
When any person chall .nged, The Judges sAa eA-
main to hi the qualifications Of an elector ana saa e6
| H'"iT M 4 he il Qualified. AMI shall prove ms
ctity win the pcrsnn 10 whose name n Offers 10 vote
,ygs placcl von the rcgistrauen list - lhc ct' NJ u
10y The testimony usd,r oah 1 al ~ ,Ilr,,, oath
Y,l dn s6cun iy swear that Won are citlen OF ia,
Unea Si-es 5S yPH IN aT ,h fs iar eigc month
and in this county for ninety day- hchl ~ tr'
ms election. aud that You are not d,s4naih,d I.S.n
limo iv The Constitution aad laws of tas state mat
yo name Is mere insert the name Givcu) ana mat III
such name You We're duly reglater'd ~ w., VI th
TOW n.hr and you new an aciul reSacnl o. he
SANE and nave been ever since Jon Werr 30 ~
ard that SON have not Noied III thS '' , ~ az, ~ W.
INV Other pulling place: SO hcip you God Ana De re
fu-e TO las~ such oa' DE- M '0lr Sha, He M l. s
ever, he docs ttEc The 0alh Wlrh 'cnptisu' '' W 80
he received: Pr0rtded That after snch Olu Nh' "A'c
mi, .co person - veto n tn"y s'ti,h d tsa be j.
not legal voter; AM tncy ae hereby ru ~
fore mem testify TO the qualifications OF person oHc
ug 10 vote
Ii will be observed that person who apples ioI
leri.tration aud is challenged il presumed by the
law not 10 be entitled to register, aud after
he takes the prescribed oath the judges OF
election may then declare without hcaHna
INV evidence against the applicant that the appll
cant has been guilty Of perjury, aud refuse to alo"
him 10 register. This - reversing the common ~"
doctrine that an accused person Is presumed 10 DC
innocent until found ~ lty. But under TINS IN
famous law, a person. not Democrat, VINO
desires to comply with the requirements oil the Ia"
80 as to exercise the highest privileges OF citizen
j. presumed TO be guilty of "A high crime and with
ont any evidence upon which to formulate an ac
csation And the divers and sundry Prerequisites to
registration rs herein set forth were all enacted
; and have been enforced for the purpose OF pre-
venting full registration of Republican voters.
Then. in ordor to confuse the ignorant voter who
cannot read and write section GS7 of the code pro
yIdes that the names of the candidates for Cover
noraud state officers shall be on one ballot; members
/ Of Congress on one ballot; Judges on one ballot
, members of General assembly OH one ballot county
, officers on one ballot and Presidential ElectOr
on one ballot Therefore, a separate box Is re
ouircd for each set of ballots aud the voter IS no
permitted to put his ballots III the Jokes put ~ IL
required to hand each ballot to the judges o
{ election. who shall deposit the ballots IN tn
, baIot-boxes. And if the judges place the bal
5 lots IN the wrong boxes when the counting com
D mcnces they refuse 70 count every ballot that 1
> fouud in the wrong boxes. This is a fruitful
/ source of loss to the Republican candidates and
resortcd to by the Democrats at every election
Another letter VIII continue the discussion OF the
f election law.
COMMITTING SUICIDE As IF HITH JOY.
PlTrsBURG, July 2G.-Maria Salter, who shO