Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1890-08-09
REGISTERING VOTERS.
THE DUTY TO BE SHARED BY THE
CLERK AND ASSESSOR.
No Pay to be Allowed for Registering in
the City, but County Registration
to be Paid For.


At yesterdays session OF the Board OF
Supervisors the only members present
were Messrs. Black, Bates and Tebbets, Mr..
Green being i'll, and Chairman Ross having
been called to San Francisco by the sudden
illness of his wife. Mr.. Black presided.
When the Board was ready for business
Win. ] Davis, Chairman of the Republican
County Committee, appeared and asked
that the duty of registering voters be con
ferred upon the County Assessor, who is SO
charged by law, but that this could not be
done unless the Board provides for that
officials compensation. II not done by the
Assessor the work would devolve upon the
County Clerk. That official being candi-
date for reelection, the Republican Com
mittee felt that il would not be fair to have
hin take charge of a matter of such i'm
portance 10 the voters of the Republican
party. If the County Clerk were to do the
work of registration it would have to be
paid for, and it would cost no more 10 have
the Assessor do the work than 10 have the
Clerk do it. Outside the city it would not
probably cost more than from $500 to $500,
and the law provides that when the Asses
sor makes sworn statement that he re-
quires more assistance the Board must al
low therefor.
Supervisor Bates said that he had been
opposed to the new register from the start,
but the action taken by the Board was
based upon the fact that the County Clerk
had sufficient clerical help in his office to
do the work of registration. II there were
anything in that action unfair to any party
he would be willing to have his resolution
ordering the County Clerk to do the work
rescinded. He thought Clerk Hamilton
would have the work done in manner
fair to all, but if there was any serious OBJ
lection to his doing it he Bates was will
ing to have the Boards action rescinded.
Mr., Davis said there should be no parti-
sanship in this matter. The Clerks office
is now being used as an agent in the inter-
est of one particular candidate for office,
and he did not think it was right.
Mr.. Tebbets said the Republican poll
ticians of this city had last year got large
number of "hobos" on the register for the
purpose of controlling the election, and he
did not blame the Democratic majority of
the Board for wanting and ordering new
lCSlSiC4s 1AlS MOih ucNOlNtS upon lIG
County Clerk, Mr.. Hamilton. He is g
Republican, and the Republicans should
have no objection to his doing the work
The Assessor is the highest-paid official
in the county, and yet he refuses to do the
work of registering voters without extra
compensation. The Clerks Office is filled
with Republican deputies, with one ex-
ception, and he (Tebbets) repudiated The
insnuation thrown out that Republicans
would not get fair show at Mr. Hamil-
tons hands. The Supervisors proposed to
allow the Clerk to select deputies to register
the voters in outside precincts and to paw
him fifteen cents per name. The Assessor
also has the right to register voters on the
same terms. The Board is willing to pay
this expense if legal.
Clerk Hamilton said it was his intention
to appoint as registration deputies only
honest men. In the past he had done the
same, and had always given all parties
fair deal. The deputies whom he proposed
to appoint would do the work faithfully.
He had appointed a Democratic registry
clerk at the request of the Democratic
majority of the Board of Supervisors, who
had ordered the new register. That deputy
was Z. o. Cravens, an honest man, against
whom not a word could be said
Mr.. Davis took issue with Supervisor
Tebbets on some of the points advanced by
the latter. Two years ago it did not cost
the county more than $50 or $40 for the
registration of such voters as applied to
the County Assessor.
Mr.. Hamilton said he did not propose to
be bound hand and foot and to have his
throat cut ike sheep. He was for q
square deal.
Deputy District Attorney Bruner ad-
dressed the Board and referred to certain
provisions of the Political Code, showing it
to be the duty OF the Assessor to register
voters, but the County Government Act al
lowed no compensation therefor, and it re-
manned with the Board to fix a reasonable
compensation for such work. The AS
SCISSOR is, however, entitled to extra clerical
help under certain conditions, and the law
authorized the Board to paw such deputy
or deputies monthly salaries.
The resolution offered by Mr. Bates and
adopted on June 9th, refusing to allow the
Assessor any compensation for registering
voters, was called up and read
Mr.. Tebbets moved that it be expunged
from the records of the Board, and Mr..
Bates seconded the motion
Il was so ordered by the unanimous vote
of the members present.
A recess was then ordered so that the
Board might meet with the Supervisors of
other counties to consider matters regard
ing the stoppage of hydraulic mining on
the tributaries of the Sacramento river.
The Board re convened Immediately after
the adjournment of the Anti Debris Con-
vention. The following resolution was
offered by Mr.. Tebbets, at the request of
Win. ]. Davis, and adopted:
WHEREAS, An order of this Board has been
passed canceling the Great Register OF voters of
this county that was prepared in 1855, and or
dering re-re gistration of the qualified electors
of Sacramento county; and whereas, il is desir-
able that such Reorganization should be full and
complete, and that such re-registrations should
be made with as little inconvenience to citizens
as possible, particularly such citizens as reside
in the country; therefore be it
Resolved, That the two officers authorized by
law, to wit: The County Assessor and the
County Clerk be and they are hereby authorized
to appoint each a suitable number of deputies
to receive applications for registration in Sacra-
mento county, and expressly on these condi-
tions That no compensation fee whatever
will be paid by this Board for any registration
made by either of said officers or any of their
deputies, where the application for such regis
tration win be made and received in the Office
of either said Clerk or Assessor in the County
Courthouse building.
But for each and every registration made by
said Clerk or Assessor outside their said Offices
of citizen in every way qualified and entitled
to be placed on the Great Register, this Bosrd
will allow the amount of fifteen (l5) cents for
the registration of each such qualified citizen.
The Board then adjourned for the term.