Butler citizen. [volume] (Butler, Pa.) 1877-1922, 1884-04-02
Bald Ridge Election District.

EDS. CIrIzEN:-To avoid misappre-
hention on the part of any citizen of
the county as to the procedure in form
ing the above district and the reasons
for it's formation, | submit the follow
ing statement:
The Act of April 20, 1854, Section
2, authorized the Courts of Quarter
Sessions:
lst, To divide township into two
or more election districts.
I'd, To alter the bounds Of any elec-
ton district.
Sd, To form an election district out
of parts of two or more adjoining town.
ships
This action was to be taken only
when it suited the convenience of the
inhabitants of the township or town
ships to be effected, and the districts
were only so to be formed where they
contained one hundred voters or more.
1t was further provided by the same
section that the proceedings had in the
case OF such division or alteration shall
be the same as in the erection or alter
alton of the lines of townships, that is,
commissioners shall be appointed who
shall inquire into the propriety of such
division or alteration and shall report
to the court and at the term after that
at which the report shall be made, the
court shall take such order thereHpon
as to them shall appear just and reas-
enable.
The reading of this act shows that
such procedure was to be had only in
the first two classes of cases above
mentioned, and excluded the case OF
the formation af an election district
out of parts of two or more adjoining
townships, in which class of cases the
formation of the Bald Ridge district
falls, it being formed of parts Of (south }
Connoquenessing, Butler, Penn and
Forward townships. The authority to
form such district rests, therefore,
with the court alone and no viewers
were necessary except for the purpose
of enabling the court more definitely
to fix the lines and boundaries of the
district.
The new Constitution, however,
swept away the procedure un der the
act of 1854, and left the formation of
election districts wholly with the
Court of Quarter Sessions. See opin-
ion of Judge Pearson in the case of the
contested election of the Office District
Attorney Of Dauphin county, reported
in ii Philadelphia Reports, page CAS-.
The constitution provides that town
ships shall form or be divided into
election districts, Of compact and con-
tiguous territory in such manner as
the court of quarter sessions may di-
rect, and election districts shall be di-
vided wherever the court shall be OF
the opinion that the convenience of the
electors and the public interest will be
promoted thereby.
From the time of the adoption of the
new constitution by the people of the
State, until May, 1876, no procedure
for the formation of election districts
was pointed out by the Legislature,
and during that time the court of quar-
ter sessions could have, of its own
motion, redistricted the county for
election purposes, having in view COM
pact and contiguous territory, the con-
venience of the electors and the promo
tion of the public interests.
On May Is, 1876, the Legislature
pointed out the manner of proceeding
to form new election districts, but in
two cases only.
lst, The division of township into
two or more election districts.
I'd, The annexation of one election
district or township to another
1t will be seen, by lawyer or layman,
that this act does not apply to the for
nation Of an election district out of
several townships, such as the Bald
Ridge district, and reference to the
Act in detail will confirm that view.
The general clause in the constitution
that the court shall divide or form cleo
tion districts whenever it shall be of
the opinion that the convenience of the
electors and the public interests will be
promoted, is in full force and is not
subject to the delay of two terms or a
reference to the vote of the people.
If this view of the law is correct the
Court may at any time form such an
election district as that of Bald Ridge
provided the district is 80 formed as to
suit the convenience Of the electors and
promote the public interests.
Electors of the Bald Ridge district
cannot vote at the place for holding
their elections for any office other than
county and State, including Presiden-
tial electors. In other words, town.
ship officers must be voted for by them
at the regular place in their respective
townships for holding elections. The
elector living in that portion of the dis
trict within the bounds of Penn town
ship must vote for justice of the peace,
constable, &c, at the regular place for
holding the Penn township elections,
and so Of Forward, South Connoque-
Messing and Butler.
Within the bonds of the Bald Ridge
election district live some one hundred
and fifty or two hundred voters and
the number is increasing. These voters
live in the corners of four townships.and to
must travel from three to six miles to
vote in their respective townships
They are generally working men who
labor each day twelve houra. They
are not situated as farmers who have
their own horses and who can comfort
ably travel to the polls They must
walk or 20 to the expense Of hiring
their teams. Worn out then with
their hard work and generally feeling
unable to expend hard earned money
in a cause in which they are not direct
ly concerned, they prefer staying away
from the place of holding the election.
The body polite is the loser by this
The polls, if possible, like the school
bouses should be within easy reach of
each voter. For these reasons this dis