San Antonio daily light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1886-1907, 1891-02-03
REeIsrRATIoN NEEoEo.

REGISTRATION NEEDED.
There Is not a.clty In Texas that does
not realize the need of an efficient and
stringent registration law. The city of
San Antoniois certainly no exception,
and there Is scacerly to be found
among her citizens o man of average
intelligence who does not recognize
this truth. There may bea few whose
interests lie in the direction of ir-
responsible voting, and whose hold
on power being perpetuated by the
c colonization ofillegitimate voters, that
deny this necessity of registration
law, but they do know that it is
needed all the same. Whatever de-
merit orsmerit the Australian ballot
system may have, it has this, it neces-
itates registration of the legitimate
voters. This is of the first conse-
quence. 1t fixes the number and
names of those entitled to vote in any
precinct and makes repeating, or ii.
legal voting, crime to be readily
detected. Every city Of the state, and
particularly the more populous
ones, are interested in securing
registration law for their
own self-protection. Without such
law all our cities, in state, municipal,
county and national elections are at
the mercy of the baser elements, who
repeat their votes, or oolonize illegal
voters and vote them in the interest
of their favorites, defying detection
and thwarting the intention and
wishes and efforts of the better class
OF citizens for the election of good and
safe and reputable men for office.
Particularly is this true of San. Anto-
MO and all that section of the state
lying within reach of the Mexican
frontier, from which is drawn at
small price per head just as many
voters as are necessary to carry the
election as desired by the unscrupu-
lous politicians and bosses who make
use of this means to carry their ne
farious ends. Again and again in this
city have hundreds of Mexicans been
marched to the polls like so many
sheep and voted for q given candi-
date, the boss who voted them re-.
ceiving his price and the dumb, igno-
rant instrument ef political fraud
drawing his pay as he would for
his regular days wages. Let there
be rigid registration law passed,
and let the proofs of citizenship be
forthcoming, as they would necessa-
rily have to be In such case when
called for, before the act of registra-
ton is accomplished, and there could
be no importation of voters. There
might be corruption and purchase.
for there are thousand ways of
evading the law, but the greatest evil
would be effectually prevented. So
long as the INSCRIPTIONS manipula-
tor of the Mexican vote has only to
figure up how many imported votes
he wants, and issue his order for
them as an army officer would his
requlsition for stores-so long as this
is so, it is idle to attempt to make
Roadway against municipal corrup-
ton, or gain any real expression of
the will of the people at the polls.
This matter demands the attention of
our state solons as imperatively as
any matter that will come before
them. II under the existing
constitution such registration law
can not be enacted without
change In the constitution itself.
then here is another argument in ia.
vor ola constitutional convention, and
one which goes long way to deter
mine the necessity of such conven.
ton. This state cannot afford to
longer hear unheeded the cry for
measure of relief from the COLOMBIA.
ton of Mexican voters, which comes
up from all Southwest Texas. 1t is
the right of the people to be protected
in the exercise of their franchise. and
the idea Of protection is a mockery so
long as no safeguards are thrown
around the ballot other than those
now provided. at present the cleo.
ton in any town or village in South
west Texas is at the mercy of the
man who can manipulate the Next
can leaders, and put up money enough
to pay him his price for the ten, twen-