New-York tribune., 1896-10-20
CERTIFICATES or REGISTRATION.


Citizens registering in New-York and Brook
lyn this year have been somewhat surprised 10
receive from the registration officers certificates
on which their names and addresses nave
been written. setting forth that they were duly
registered Oh a certain date. When asked re-
gordinc the purpose of these certificates the
officials have generally given rather unsatlsiac-
tory answers. indicating. however, that while
+. would not be- necCssl lry for voter 10 DrihS
his certificate with him on Election Day. still
II would be good thing to keep it handy III
case of an emergency The exact purpose OF
these certificates does not appear to be clearly
understood BY some they are regarded as TAX
ing the place Of thc queries concerning the
color of eyes and hair etc. that were put to
citizens whei registering last year. The de-
tails of ones personal appearance. it was sup
poscd would be- useful for purposes OF identi-
fcaton. but in actual practice they proved to he
of slight value and accordingly they were
dropped after one years trial. registration
certificate. however would accomplish little If
n man had need 10 he identified before being
pcrmitted To vote as it would first be necessary
for him to prove that he was the man whose
maine il bore.
The language of the revised election law in
mistakabe so far as it goes. II provides that
"in cities of the first class the Boards Of In
"spcctors shall issue to every person enrolled
upon the register y certificate In which snail
abe written the name and address given by
such person and the date of such entry upon
the register" II Is provided further. that
such certificate shall be retained by the per-
"son 10 whom it Is issued as evidence Of the
nnI adj Vrp
upon the register The first part OF the last
sentence is mandatory. and yet 1t Is without
force because no penalty is provided for failure
10 comply with 1t. 1ncre is nothing In Sub
division {. of Section 81 which We have quoted.
to indicate that voter must produce his cerIifi-
cate before being allowed to exercise the right
of voting and plainly no such requirement
was intended by the men responsible for the
drafting Of the law
What. then is the purpose of this provision?
That Is a question Ia which. so far as We have
been able 10 ascertain. no precise answer can
br given. All that Is definite is tha, the ccrtiii-
cate is evidence that a certain name and adj
dress were entered on 4 specific date on the
looks Of registration. In the copying Of these
record. IL is conceivable that one or more
name, nIigh. br Inadvertently omitted. In
such ease the voter armed with his certificate
could secure the restoration Of his name fo the
registry list. its rrcs"nce there being an IN
dlspcnsable prcrcquislt" Ia voting. In their ef-
fort 10 cover every prssibl" contingency. TIA"
trainers of TIA. election law have erred if at
all on the sid. Of funcss. in this point rs
well rs In others of practical value a registra-
,ion ccriincat, has lttlr or none. Nevertheless.
~ guard against contingencies, II is wise 10
keep IL within reach and even Ia carry IL 10 the
polls But men who may have lost their ceriiu-
catcs or parted with them In any way. hav"
small occasion Tor worrncnt