St. Paul daily globe., 1892-10-21
HINDER The VOTERS.
That Seems to Be the Instruc-
ton Of the Republican
Managers.
CityAttorney Russell Changes
Front on His Naturaliza-
tiOn Opinion.
What Minneapolis Will Do for
Christopher Columbus
Today.
Printers Desert the Republic
ans ocally--NeWs of
Courts.

These Republicans are ingenious fell
lows. Not an election passes that they
| do not attempt to throw obstacles in
the way of free expression of opinion
on the part of the masses at the ballot
box. Some people have mad an idea
that all the schemes possible had been
| resorted to in the past and ventilated.
Not SO. Almost every two years some
sort of change is made in the ballot
law, and these changes are made the
excuse for obstructionist methods on
the part of Republican officeholders,
although without shadow of reason.
Last Tuesday in a large number of
| districts, naturaliZed citizens we're de-
MED the right to register because they
had not their naturalization papers
sewn in the liningSs of their coats so
that they could be produced at
moments notice. Old men who were
naturalized before their boards had
fairly started and who have been vot-
ing for years were denied the right to
I register because they did not produce
their naturalization papers. They were
not allowed the right that is accorded
oath as to his qualifications as a voter.
But this sort of work must stop.
For once the office of the city attorney
| of Minneapolis is on the fair side in the
Interpretation of the law bearing upon
elections and registration. City Attor-
ney Russell was in st. Paul yesterday,
and could not be seen, but Assistant
City Attorney Simpson gave it ont as
his opinion that judges of election, act
ing as above stated, were acting with
out warrant. He thought all any voter,
native born or naturalized, could be eX-
pected TO do would be to satisfy the
registry board that he was qualified
voter. This Satifaction is made by oath.
That is the law and the practice. When
mans right to vote is questioned on
election day he has right to cast his
vote if he makes oath that he is a quail
fed voter. The same rule applies to
registration. NaturaliZed citizens are
not obliged to show their naturalization
papers to Judges of election.
When the next registration day rolls
around this matter will be watched
closely, and the men who are attempting
to deprive citizens of their right to vote
through refusing to allow them to regis
ter will be taken care of. The Judges
that have taken this stand have un-
doubtediy done it under the direction OF
the Republican campaign committee. It
is just the sort of q scheme one might
expect to emanate from the brains of
the political sandbaggers who are run
ming the political machine in HenEepin
county.
Russeil's Change of Front
City Attorney Russell has changed
front on the point of how long a for
elgner must be in the United States be-
fore he can take out his first naturaliZa-
ton papers. In a letter to Clerk of
Courts Tirrell yesterday, Mr.. Russell
waived the three-year point, he having
contended the day before that a for
eIgner must be in the country three
years before he could get cut first pa
pers. Mr. Russell says the point he is
trying to make is this: The clerk of
courts should not issue papers to for
eigners who have not been here
a year. especially at this time
when the presumption is that a
man who applies for first papers
wants 10 vote at this election. The con-
SututiOn of the state of Minnesota pro-
vldes that a man cannot vote until he
has lived in the United States one year,
and In the state four months M. Rus
sell thinks that many first papers are
now being issued to men who have not
been here year. but who are being
registered on those papers, and who
will desire to vote. His point is more
to assist the election judges than for
any other purpose. He wants the clerks
of courts to refuse papers to men who
have not been in the country year, so
that the judges of election may be
spared the trouble of ascertaining
whether foreigner who applies for
registration is really qualified voter,
having been in the country year.