San Antonio daily light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1886-1907, 1892-12-19
SHORT STOPS.
w,hat the People are Saying.

"hat the People are saying.
| A petition toput in force the law pre-
vtding for registration OF voters has tee
10 circulation and is likely to receive tn
requisite. 800 signatures, so that our eiti
Zens viii have another trial at thi
methed Of conducting elections at tn
next city election.
The citizens association discussed tn,
| adVisability Ofagain trying the new Law
| and decided to maze no effort to secure q
| petition 10 that effect, because of the fac
| that the law had been used openly TO per
| petrate fraud and should be amended be,
fore being tried again.
1t is not the fault OF the law that the
election in some of the precincts became a
farce, but because the officers Of the cleo
ton, being all chosen to represent the
ring" ticket, ran things 10 suit them
selves.
The registration of the voters is GER.
tainly guard against illegal voters, and
if this registration is conducted so as TO
admit illegal voters, IL is the fault of the
registrar and his deputies.
The law is honest enough, but it is thu
way il is executed that causes dishonest
results. Is there no remedy for this?
Should the requisite 500 petitioners be
secured, the petition should be presented
to the county commissioners court, who
are required to order the registration.
The registrar reports his work TO the city
and is paid by the city, but the registrar
is directly under control of the county.
If this petition was simply handed TO
the registrar, that might be sufficient, as
the act requires him TO carry out the pro
visions of the act, and the petition of 500
citizens makes the act operative.
In the event of the law being put in
force, section 30 of the act becomes of
Importance as it authorizes the city coun-
Gil to adopt such methods not inconsls-
tent with this act to protect the purity of
the ballot"
Under this authorization a carefully
drawn city ordinance would correct much
of the faultineSS of the act as demonStrat-
ed in the late election.
The registrar should be assisted in en-
forcing the precautions Of the law in pre-
venting illegal registration by challeng-
ers of different political parties. The
choice of judges and clerks of election
SnUulu De udue WIN SJflrb I'M pdrtlaIlty,
so that it could not be possible for set of
judges TO vote the illiterateStO suit them
selves for any one candidate or ticket.
II for no other reason, party action is
leedfulItO make legal demand for i'm
partial rep reSentation.
If the law could be carried out faithful
y our citizens would have no cause for
but to make it, as in the late
election, an instrument in the hands of
The official ringSters TO elect their
ticket makes the law an outrage upon the
light of suffrage and the sacredncSs of the |
ballot.
The petition of the 800 being granted, it |
icyOlVeS upon our voters to again register
md prepare themselves for the exercise of
he ballot under the new law. The method |
should be practiced before the election,
md for this purpose the style of ticket |
should be defined in advance.
The ticket will be much simpler than
he state ticket, and if no party nOmina-
ions are made the candidates for each
Ithce can be grouped together for the con-
Lenience of the voter. 1t will be a small |
icket easily underStOOd,-aS easily voted |
as the old style, if not easier.
So much is at stake that every good
citizen should enter earnestly into the !
work of making the election a success. A
rood result will be the opening of better |
OF things for our city.