The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1893-03-16
STOP FRAUD At THE POLLS
The House Discusses a Measure TO
Punish Fraudulent Voters.
SHORT SESSION OF THE SENATE.
RESOLUTIONS to Appropriate Money for
S1bte Home and school and for New
Insane Asylum Committee to Confer
with City Regarding Armory sites.

At the state house today the house be-
gan its session by taking up the special
order of the day on request of 4. Ii. Will
son. The bill is as follows, the italics
showing the amendment to the present
law:
Every person who in any election shall fraudu-
lently vote attempt vote. not being quslliied
Notwithstanding his name may be upon the poting
tempt 10 sos or Sho shall VSt vote % upon s,
the name OF any other person; or having voted m
t9mpt to vote In the same or Ia another town, ward
or g 0as m a q or 9 ssaa rS,e OF stRt 70
the toon t0drd or roiing district chyetn he has his
tempting 70 rote shall be punished by fihe OF not
less than one hundred dollars nor mo than Ave
sirtg days nor more than one year. or bv both seh
hne dnd tnprt,onment hi the discretion oI the court |;
hereafter be permitted 10 exercise the privilege OF
voting for any military or civil officer.
Mr.. Mccarthy called attention to the
second italicized paragraph of the act.
He thought this would uisfranchise any
voter who should move from one ward to
al other near election time.
X. III. Wilson read section 10 OF the
Public Statutes showing that every per-
sou shall vote whose name is oI any vot-
ing list and that this right entities him
to have his name changed from one list
to another at any time
Mr. Mccarthy thought the section re-
ferred to was repealed by this &C. which
repealed all acts inconsistent with itsel
Mr.. Mulholland thought the act was
entirely unnec, ssary. The present laws
were quite ample to punish any fraudu-
lent voters. The Bourne amendment
provided that every male citizen shall
Lave the right TO vote in the town or city
where he resides, but this act would add
to the constitution, aud greatly compli-
cate the law. It would deprive any voter
whose name had been mistakenly placed
on list, OF the right to vote An error of
the clerk would subject
Many an Honest Voter
to heavy penalties.
f. III. Wilson suggested that an amend.
ment be added providing that the pres
ent act should be operative except as
provide in section l, chapter TO- which
he had before read and explained.
The bill was intended to remedy care
lesSness OF canvassers and to hinder
coloniZlng OF voters where they had no
right TO vote. de instanced the case of
three voters, whose names appeared on
the lists of two districts, and who had
cast six votes at recent elections. They
had registered in district where resi-.
dents of many years standing had never
seen them. This was the class of people
the bill covered.
Mr.. Owen thought that the bill added
new qualification TO voting and was.
theretore constitutional, but that
question might be settled in the courts
la his town (Scituate). there were three
voting districts Que Of them was
Reached by Railroad
and the other two were not. 1t had been
the custom Of the clerks and wardens to
allow all voters of any district to vote in
the district which was reached by rail.
road. Thus act would impose great in-
convenience on such voters and he did
not believe IL was constitutional.
Il. ii. Wilson moved TO amend the bill
by adding after the second itaiicised
clause the words except as allowed by
Section I, Chapter 10, of the Public
Stat utes."
The section provides that In case any
voter who has chan ed his residence
after voting list has been prepared for
any election, or in case by error his name
has been placed on the wrong list, such
voter shall. upon producing "A certificate
of his right TO vote from the warden.
have the right To vote where he actually
resides.
The amendment was carried
Mr. Brown explained his opposition to
the bill at length and moved that the
a mendnent be amended 10y adding words
that provided that any person who
moved from one ward to another should
retain his right to vote In his original
voting district until his name had been
changed to the list of the district TO
which he had moved.
Mr.. Blodgeit called attention TO the
of Mr.. Brown, and thought
that IL would
Nuiiify the Whole Act,
because the act was particularly drafted
TO cover such voters as had fraudentlv
gotten their names on n list The amend.
nent would permit him to continue 10
vote " herever his name il on the list
The discussion th-n deviated into tho
general rights of voters aud was mar
,icipated in by Mr.. McOsker and MIR.
Brown. The house became restl ess and |
nat eative.
T.. II. Wilson rose TO point OF order |
hat the gentleman was not discussing |
lis amendment.
Mr.. brown am obliged TO the gentle
nan Tor calling the attention OF the
rouse 20 the fact that the matter was
'elng discussed at all Laughter.
Mr.. browns amendment was then lost
m rising vote
Mr.. Blodgett said that there had been