The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1891-10-19
The law OF the last legislature, creating
boards OF registrations in cities and com,
hitting to them the work of prenar,no tbe
voting lists nrnuidas as fniio... -

voting lists provides as follows.
sect. g. Said board Of registration anno,nted in
IN The w sals state shall prepare lists Of
~ appear 10 them to be legally qualified voters
e ensrs;in, az least thirty days prior TO the next
Vice PSes sSeceon Tor electors OF President ana
snS nossuenI representative to Congress, state
anu any county officers, or any election Of municipal
rmcers IN said cities. Thereafter said board Of
az least thirty days prior to any such election Dy
placing upon such lists all the names which APP
election in said cities, except the names Of such
persons as have died or ceased 70 RESIDE IN saiu
wise become ca adRsdauiaed to vote therein since
such preceding election
1t will be seen that no definite meth
cd is provided for making up the
first lists of voters, that being left
apparently to the judgment and dis
erection of the Board. There are three posi-
BILE ways In which the Board may proceed.
Fist, they can take the present lists as
basis and revise and correct them, somewhat
in the manner now In vogue Second, they
can ignore entirely the present list and by
means OF a house to house canvass prepare
an entirely new one Third, they may CON-
pei citizens to appear before them and regis
ter their names and residences, under PEN
atty OF losing their votes for neglect. The
first two methods would prove to great ex-
tent Identical as a correction of the existing
lists and the addition of the voters resi-
dences which the law requires would neces-
state house to house canvass. Practically.
therefore. there are only two ways of max
ing up the list, one by canvass under the
auspices Of the Board, and the other by per-
sonal registration. Neither method is en-
tlrely free from objection. The principal
one to the latter method is the incon-
venience to which 1t will put the citizen.
Probably people who have voted here for
many years and Of whose right to do SO there
is not the slightest uestion, will be some
what vexed by being obliged to present
themselves before the Board and register
their names and residences. The first meth
cd would be free from this objection
put open to others, In our opinion,
much more serious. No matter how care
fully and concientiously house to house
canvass were made 1t would not be entirely
free from errors and omissions, and on cleo
ton day many citizens would find themselves
deprived Of the privilege of voting. This
would give rise to harsh criticism of the
Board, and should the errors and omissions
affect one party more than another and par
tisan feeling run high, there would arise
suspicion that all the errors had not been
accidental. OF course this would tend to the
discredting of the law and Of the Board
The personal registration method would be
entirely free from this objection. A citizen
could then be deprived of his vote only
through his own neglect There could be
no suspicion of Partially ON the part of the
Board and no hard feelings. 1t should be
borne In mind that this personal registra-
ton would be required only for the first list.
Afterwards the law provides for its cor
rection In another way.