Daily Yellowstone journal., 1889-09-06
They are a long way OH the road TO the
Prevention OF Fraud-Might be
Amended but not Repealed.
THE SAME OLD KICK.


The Courier In its first isIne take s
the cue from the Helena Independent
and urges the most strenuous efforts
to elect democratic me nbers OF the
legislature 10 the end that the "obnox-
ious registration law" may be repealed.
IL Is most noticeable fact that the
democratic pre- IS throughout the terri
tory IL openly opposed to the registra-
tion and Australian system laws; two
laws conceived and enacted by a re-
publican legislature solely In the inter-
eat Of an honest vote. We freely ad-
init that both laws are crude and 10
some OF their provisions work ha'd-
ships in thinly settled country like
ours, but these defects can be as easily
remedied by republican legislature as
by democratic. IL wss not TO he exs
pecttd in the short time 10 which
these laws were framed and passed
that they would be perfect, but no
man who iavors an honest ballot can
deny that they are a step. and q long
one too, in the right direction. Crude
as they are, they have already raised
such barrier in the way OF demo.
cratic frauds, that howl Of anguish
aud despair is raised all over the terri
tory by those who expected TO profit
by the old methods. In order to de-
ceive the public the democrats claim
that ihev only wish TO amend these
laws, but this IL q mere subterfuge.
Just az sure ~ q democratic majority
prevails In the next legislature. Just so
sure the days Of the registration and
Australian laws are numbered and our
new state that has started 80 fairly for
an honest ballot, will be relegated to
the old customs that made so mon
strous a fraud az "Wooley's Ranch"
possible In this county in 1882, and
permitted total vote of 1914 to he re-
turned from Miles City with a demo
cratic majority of over 500. when there
was not to exceed 500 voters 10 town.
These are reeulis of the democratic
way Of doing things In ore election
oDly-Wooley's Ranch was myth.
Nobody ever heard Of il before or
since, but at that election, duly certi-
fed aud sworn returns were received
from that place (?) giving ll3 solid
democratic votes aud not one republic
can. The judges and clerks were as
mythical as the place itself. but the
returns were gravely received and cam
vassed, and to these frauds in Custer
county Martin Msginnis owed his
last election. Repeal these laws tor the
protection OF the ballot and we drop
back again to the conditions that
made such frauds possible. The re-
publicans are just as desirous OF
amending these laws as the democrats
are they are just as burdensoiue In
the respects where they are faulty, to
one PARTY as the other, although the
democratic press would have the voter
believe that they were designed for the
express purpose OF harassing the DEM
ocrats. They were conceived aud en-
acted by the republican majority IN
the legislature for the protection Of
the ballot and we believe the demo-
cratic voters rs class are as much in
favor OF q pure ballot as the republic
cans. 1t 10 only the democratic candi-
dates and managers, who hope to gain
personal ends by such work as we re-
fer to, who howl and kick against
these laws and denouuce them as par
tisan legislation. The very charge Of
partisan legislation made by the
democratic organs, admits deep
seated opposition to fair vote,
and " every man In Custer
county who believes in n iair
vote will stand by the republican
nominees for the legislature, he will
help TO send men there who will
amend aud correct the existing mis-
takes and perfect, as nearly az human
intelligence can, two Of the best laws
ever placed on our statute book.