The Helena independent. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1875-1943, 1892-12-04

since 1888, but the law remains pre-
cisely as it was enacted in the frs
; place, and three general elections hav
elapsed whereat voters were required L
register under its provisions, It has
therefore, been we'll tried in it's presen
form and can be discussed from TIL,
practical standpoint OF universal appli
cation throughout tho state.
1t mast be admitted that the regis,
The first change which l would recon-
mend is in the number of registry
agents. Section ? of the law simply
authorizes the appointment of two
agents in any election district contain
ing a city of 5000 population or more,
Let this section be amended SO as to
require the appointment of n agent to
every thousand voters in any incorpor-
ated city, basing the number of voters
upon the votes cast at the general cleo
tion last preceding the date of the ap-
pointment of such agents. BY this
change Butte would have say, eight
agents, and Helena, for instance, would
have four, and other cities more than at
present, which would be a great con-
venience to the people Of all such places.
There should be an amendment to the
law, also, which would decidedly modify
section 5. 1t should be made the duty
Of every registry agent, at least seven
days before registration commences, to
designate in a newspaper in his county
where his home office may be. Such
home office should be, of course, within
the election district in which he is to
register the voters. He should also be
compelled to lay ont fixed times during
which he would sit within each and
every precinct of his election district.
Notices Of when and where he would
sit in each precinct should be posted up
in conspicuous places within his election
district, and at least three of such
notices should be posted within the
limits of each precinct, and the registry
agent should publish such notice of his
sitting at least once in some newspaper
in his county before he sits within any
~ "lUIIla LIS dlbuT1CU. ANU l6 |
should be positively required to person.
ally attend at the time and place desig-
for his sitting in each
precinct. and should there register
any and all qualified electors who might
present themselves to him for registra-
lion, as is generally required by the reg
law. He should also be re-
luired by law to so arrange his sittlngs
each precinct as to sit one Sat-
friday, if possible, in each election pre-
,inct, and he should sit at least two
lays, but not more than four days, in
very election precinct other than
n his home precincts; but he
hould always SO appoint his sit
ings as that in all cases he
would keep his home office open and be
resent to register voters thereat dur
ng the last three registry days. Voters
hould be required to register within
heir own precinct, yet nothing should
revent a voter being registered any
there within his election district as is
t present provided. By this amend
ranchmen, miners and others will
% greatly accommodated and much of
he present well-founded complaint
gainst the hardship and expense of the
sgistration law will at once be done l
way with. Failure to sit in zach pre-
net should be cause for instant re-
loval by the commissioners and should T
g punished by fine and Imprisonment
Another well-considered complaint is !.
lat registration closes too soon. We :.
fought, in considering this matter a
hen the law was adopted, that it would J
a much greater labor for the registry N
gents to get out their lists of voters a
ian it seems to be, and for that reason T
9 allowed from the 18th of October D
ntil election day to elapse after the k
ose OF registration. l am of the opin- u
n myself that thirty days is an un- Ii
'cessary length of time for the registry it
'oks to be kept open. Twenty days "
ould be ample, particularly when the v
glstry agent can sit in every precinct. q
would be wise, therefore, to compel il
gistry books to b opened, say the sec Il
ID Monday in October, and require 81
to be kept open until 10 O'Clock at a,
ght of the Tuesday next preceding 81
ection day. q,
WyrY,.,, IT IT,. -