, 1890-02-07
AN ELABORATE JOKE.
Death and Resurrection of the He
bard Election Bill.
The House Has Discussed Forty
Nine Sections Of the Act.
County Bills and a Franchise File
In the Council.

THE BILL.

IN 10 uct bO consuming as naQ Deen sup
posed in legislative circles. Less than a
dozen spectators were in the house lobby
when the measure, which had been made
a special order. came before the commit
tee of the entire house for consideration.
Mr.. Burritt was in the chair. This bill,
as had been recited, provides for a regis
tratlon of Wyoming electors, gives the
people a balloting system similar in near
every particular to the famed Australia An
method and establishes a poll tax quail
hcation for electors. This law, except
the last stated provision, is contemplated
by the state constitution. Much Of the
bill Is repiltion, with sometimes slight
amendments to the present election laws.
MIR. Hebard is father of the bill. 1t was
prepared with care, submitted to a num-
Der OF eminent attorneys presumably
qualified to cope with constitutional ques-
tions and was the subject of a caucus OF
the house Republicans last Tuesday after
noon.
When the poll tax qualification section
was reached Mr.. Hebard moved for its
approval.
MIR. Adams said he was in favor Of this
stipulation if it did not conflict with the
United States constitution.
MIR. Guthrie moved to strike out the
clause imposing poll tax as a positive vot-
ing attribute. He wished to go on record
as opposed to this remarkable provision,
1t being an enactment in direct conflict
with the spirit and purpose of our gov
eminent and institutions and even with
the avowed objects of this bill. 1t was a
notorious fact that a like law supposed to
operate in Cheyenne was the most fruit
full source of corruption in local politics.
MIR. Jesurun requested Speaker Dow
ney to give his opinion on the constItu-
tionality of the proposition. Col. Dow
ney replied that the clause was proper in
this relation as it was given.
Mr.. Hebaid said that according to the
best information he could obtain the con
stitutionalIty of the section could not be
questioned. The time for paying poll
tax was placed such a period before the
election that crooked work would be i'm
possible. He had learned chat there was
objection to the poll tax figure and would
be pleased to have the matter considered
BY the committee.
The Guthrie amendment was lost.
Mr.. Hebsrd offered a substitute Sec
ton making the tax 81 instead of 81.
Messrs. Rex and Sheldon we're against
the reduction. The money was applied
to gain a good result. and no American
could be niggardlY in that direction. The
schools In their counties were closed
several months in the year from lack OF
funds.
Mr.. Mccormick held that there would
be many more collections at 81.
Mr.. Kellogg took the floor for the first
time on the bill. In connection with the
poll tax qualification a sad picture pre-
sented itself. Think of the sorrowful
spectacle of a battered relic of Gettysburg
-r celf at , poll
ing place and failing to exhibit a tax re-
ceipt. The Judge would say to him:
Go home, 90. somewhere and recount
your hardships and sufferings and show
your scars; but you cannot vote because
you had no dollar for poll tax a month
ago"
MIR. Hebard's argument was that all
| lhnnlH pnntrthuNa 10 NLo .--z = Il.
government.
The amount was made 81.
MIR. Atherly moved hat that there be
no registration in precincts casting less
than forty votes at the preceding cleo.
ton. He said that in the smaller places
each resident was acquainted with all the
citizens and that fraud was impossible.
The gentleman withdrew his amendment
on being informed that its adoption
would table the registration provisions.
Registry agents are to be appointed by
the commissioners and the only officer.
who moy be designated and act as such are
postmasters and n~otaries public,
The bill has lS2 sections, when on the
nineteenth the committee arose and ad,
journment was taken to evening.
A GORGEOUS JOSH.
A practical joke that would easily take
first prize at the worlds fair was perpe
trated at last evenings session of the
house. The victims were Mr.. Hebarc
and other staunch supporters of the cleo
ton bill. Col Downey conceived the iot
and 1t was brilliantly executed by Chair
man Burrltt. Mr.. Guthrie, Mr.. Rankin
Mr.. Atherly. MIR. Snedden and others.
As a preliminary Mr.. Rankin, Speaker
Downey, Mr.. Snedden and Mr.. Atherly
called for explanations on several simple
sections and insisted that Mr. Hebard',
lucid dissections of these provisions wert
about as clear as mud.
Then Mr.. Atherly made the irritating
statement that the bill seemed abrased
with imperfec'ions. He said that Mr..
Hebard should have prepared it more
carefully and moved that for the purpose
of allowing the ~introducer to get his
measure into p~resentable shape further
consideration of it be indefinitely post