The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1890-08-05


istrar is q Liberal, in many instances
candidate for office, and it is not unreason-
able to suppose that the Liberal central
committee have access to this valuable list
of names and addresses.
There is no objection to the il IS ,ection of
the lists by the Liberal committees; on the
contrary, it is in every way desirable that
the lists should be inspected, not only by
the Liberal central committee, but by all
citizens that areinterested in public affairs.
1t Is citizens clear right to be permitted
to inspect the registration list. Not the
partial list without the address of voters
that is furnished by the registrar; but q
complete copy with the residence of each
voter given.
The list furnished by the registrar for
public inspection does not contain all the
names, and is of little value as a checking
ilst Moreover, the printed lists hung up
at the polls often contain many names that
Inc lists used by the judges of election do
not contain, the names having been struck
on by the registrar without any public no
tlce o. lntimation of his action.
man will go to the DO ling place and
see II his name is on the published list he
finds it there and on election day he goes to
vote. He hands in his ballot and the
judges of election inform him that his name
is not on the list. He declares that it is on
the list hanging just outside of the door of
the polling place; but that makes no differ
ence to the judges; they cannot permit him
TO vote unless his name is on their list.
tn md on,
aiildaVlt that he is a qualified voter, that he
! was duly registered, and that his name has
been, for some reason unknown to him, re-
moved from the registration list. He takes
this affidavit to the Utah commission, and
Is referred perhaps to the chief registrar
The chief registrar or the commission gives
MIN an order directing that his name be re-
lnstated on the list. He carries this order
back to the judges of election; they send
him to find the precinct registrar. If he
finds him the registrar takes the order and
puts it into his pocket, and the man cannot
get his nan on the list after all. ..,-..
The above refers to men against whom
no objection has ever been or can be made,
as qualified voters. 1t is further curious
fact that it applies exclusively to men who
are supposed to vote the Peoples ticket
1t would take several columns in which
to enumerate the chief wrongs and abuses
OF the registration, but the public interest
certainly demands:
L. A public notice of the house to house
visitation of the registrar. 1t would also
save an enormous amount of trouble and
apprehension on the part of the voters to
have the lists open to inspection before the
regular registration time is over
2. public announcement of where and
when each registrar may be found, so that
errors or omissions may be corrected
3. That no names shall be struck off with
out notifying the person of the grounds on
which he is objected to, and no names
should be struck off unless openly and with
the knowledge of the person thus dealt
with.
4. That the list filed with the county
clerk shall contain the name and city ad
dress of each person registered.
| 5. That challenged parties be not required
to prove their innocence, but that they be
confronted by the person who makes the
charge against them.
Until these or similar improvements are
introduced into our registration methods,
fraud will continue to run rampant
'