The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1896-05-04


has shown that clerical assistance In the
discharge Of its duties 10 absolutely neces
cary, for In addition to its other statu-
tory duties this board has entire charge
OF the registration also. Sixteen tnous-
and registry voters personally visited this
office and registered their names therein,
as required by law, In the year 1895. The
law now makes no provision for any cleri-
cal assistance whatever and two City
Councils have, IN succession, refused
hitherto to make any permanent pro-
vision for such assistance, although twice
petitioned SO TO do by the board. Ger
tain special and temporary appropriations
have from time TO time been made there
for, but the board was compelled in the
closing days of last December to employ
such assistance without other legal su-
thority than that arising from an impera-
tive necessity which knows no law, the al
ternatiye being the disfranchisement of
more than three thousand three hundred
persons who could not otherwise have been
registered SO as TO qualify them TO vote
at the State and Presidential elections oc-
curing during the p 'esent year. And by
the position In the C)mmon Council, of
the framer OF the resolution under which
the city solicitor Is instructed to oppose
this amendment, the clerks SO employed
were delayed for weeks Ia receiving the
money which was so Justly due them.
When an appropriation was finally passed
by both branches OF the City Council the
same was vetoed by the present Mayor on
Feb. IL, 1896, who took the ground in
his veto message that no money whatever
should be appropriated for clerical assis-
tance for this board unless the same were
to be expended subject TO his approval
his second objection TO the appropriation
being stated In tie veto message "that
the Mayor should approve the necessity
OF such clerical assistance and the reason
alliances 4 In
"for the foregoing reasons | feel con-
strained 10 withhold my approval OF the
resolution" A new resolution was &C.
cordingly passed by the City Council en-
bodying the foregoing condition and ulti-
mately became law some two months
after the services above mentioned were
rendered, the clerks meanwhile being
seriously incopvenienced by the delay in
the payment of their money. Under this
resolution the Mayor has used his
power OF approval to reduce the compens-
alton OF the clerks of this Board rs cents
day, from per diem compensation of
&. 90 TO 1926.
Since the State law has imposed upon
this Board alone, and under stringent
penalties, the duty OF canvassing the
voting lists for State, Congressional and
Presidential elections, and has not di-
yided this responsibility either with the
City Council, or with the Mayor, 1t fol-
lows that the Board should be empowered
by. the State to discharge these duties
subject only TO its proper accounta bility
to the State which created it.
1t is thus plainly apparent that the
important State and federal interests in
trusted to this Board by State law, are in
respect OF the matters above mentioned
unprotected by any state guaranty what
soever, and are liable at any moment to
be greatly impaired, or, IL may be wholly
ssubverted by so slight a cause rs a
change IN the political complexion OF the
municipal government. And this is not
the language of exaggeration, for the
complicated and Intricate constitutional
and statutory questions daily arising
under the election laws of this State, and
more particularly in relation to the con-
stitutional and statutory qualifications of
real estate and personal property voters,
demand, in this city, not only the SER
vices OF men thoroughly familiar with
sucn matters by long and practical ex-
perience, but also continual legal lnvesti-
CATION and research for their proper solu-
tion, while the twenty-five thousand
names upon the twenty-five voting dis
trict lists therein continually necessi-
tates, In addition, vast amount OF detail
work which 1t Is q physical impossib bility
for any three men to perform unaided In
the limited statutory periods prescribed
for their performances Service OF such
nature and responsibility so great should
be Adequately compensated and all re-
quisite and necessary assistance should
be provided by authority OF the State.
This is not paternalism, but 1t Is protec-
ton.
So too, on principle and in theory, there
is absolutely no reason whatsoever, why
the City Council should determine the
compensation TO be allowed to this Board
tor the judicial duties imposed upon 1t by
State law under stringent penalties in
nnf pcii inr, n int if.t nd
Presidential elections.
IL 1t be asserted that the State should
pay from its own treasury portion, at
least, of this compensation sufficient re-
ply Is 90 be found in the fact that the
laws uniformly provide otherwise, both in
this STATE and elsewhere, In all cases
where the selection OF the officers is left
to the municipality. IL. lowever, the
State is to pay the compensation Ii fol-
lows that the State may properly assert
q SO the right of appointment in connec-
tion Herewith. for IL would indeed be
novelty in Rhode Island legislation IL
city or town should be given the power
to elect officers whose compensation when
elected shoud be paid by the people at
large out OF the State treasury
In the decision of this question IL Is not
Inappropriate to take also into considera-
tion the Legislative provisions of other
states relative To the same subject matter.
HHu upou inquiry ~ appeais tuht tue
uniform custom in sister common
wealths is 10 fix the compensation of
municipal election boards by State law,
In order That State interests of the grav-
est importance may not be jeopardized
by those chance mutations in municipal
governments which so often arise from
causes as insu bstantia In reality as they
are ephemeral in duration. While the
cor rensation varies with the size of the
locality and the nature OF the duties per-
iormed from per diem fee TO salary of
S5L00. in each OF the following cities, the
compensation Of these officers is fixed by
State law and not ny municipal ordi-
nance, viz. Boston, Mass Portland,
Me. i; Nsw haven, Conn; New York, N.
". Philadelphia, Pa Baltimore, Md.
Cincinnati, o.; Chicago, H.; Detroit,
Mich. st. Louis, Mo-. Richmond, Va;
Louisville. Ky. And doubtless further
enquiry would disclose simila provisions
in other States than those above enumer-
ated.
In this connection II should be borne
in mind that by the provisions OF Chapter
1884, Publir Laws, passed at the May ses-
sion, 1894, the City Council OF Providerce
is prohibited by statute from increasing
sa aiarfes duriufv fhp pauntpip.l vaar for