The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1896-03-28
CRANSTON.
The Registration Fight---Names of the
Italians 10 Go on the List.

The Registration Fight---Names Of the
Italians TO Go on the List.
The board of canvassers, after spending
two days canvassing the voting lists,
have decided that the 500 contested names
OF Italians shall be placed upon the lists.
Chapter VII, section 2, of the General
Laws under the bead of registry voters
says: Every person who is, or who with
in year viii be qualified to vote, upon
being registered shall go to the town
clerk of the town in which he resides and
shall annually ON or before the last day
of December register his name and there
by certify to the truth OF the facts stated
In the appropriate heads Of such regist-
ers.
Provided, Before any PERSONS name
shall be placed on the voting list, IL such
citizen shall tie OF foreign birth he shall
file proof, at least five days before any
meeting of the board of canvassers with
the town clerk that he is a citizen OF the
United States and such proof shall be
subject to the approval OF the board or
canvassers of the town or ward wherein
such person shall claim right TO vote"
The names presented to the board OF
canvassers by the town clerk must be APP
proved by the board OF canvassers before
the names may be placed upon the certi-
fed list. A prominent lawyer OF the city
said this morning that objections to the
names by one or more members OF the
board would suggest that there Is
chance OF catching an illegal voter and
that the board should be willing to sub
NIT to an investigation. Time would
not permit an Investigation, and rather
than have the names lost four OF the seven
members voted to have the names put on
the list. These four say the papers had
been filed. 1 he legal point then hinges
on what "shall file proof" means.
The verb "file" means to string upon
or put away for future reference. The
mere act OF showing the papers to the
town clerk is not fling. The majority OF
the board Of canvassers said that the
mere showing of the papers to the town
clerk at the time they registered Is COM
pliance with the law.
This latter Interpretation of the statutes
would occasion considerable confusion IL
the board OF canvassers should desire to
hold such proof "subject to their APP
prevail as the law permits. The board
would then be compelled to adjourn until
The proof could be secured.
Town Clerk Waterman and Town Solici-
tor Palmer are both OF the firm convic-
tion that the law has not been complied
with. The many who objected to the
placing of the names upon the list say
they Will contest the case, In court
Should II be proven that the law has not
been complied with the members OF tie
DOaru VINO VOteu tnat the names snOulu
be placed upon the list will be subject to
the following law: "If the name of any
person be wiifully or fraudulently added
TO the voting list who shall not be entitl-
ed to vote as aforesaid. or shall be wiiful-
ly or fraudulently stricken from the vot-
ing list whose name should be retained
thereon, every member of the board of
canvassers wilfully or fraudulentiy con-
curing therein shall be fined 500 for
every name so added or stricken off,"
Thirty-seven of the 30 persons whose
names are contested have never before
registered; SO that there are at least 81
strong cases. There are, as will be seen,
two points to the settled in court, viz.
Is the mere showing of naturalization
papers to the town clerk at the time of
registering. "fling"? Did the board
OF canvassers wilfully add TO the voting
list the rames Of those not entitled to
vote?
The election OF next Wednesday has,
by the contest, had fuel added to the
political fire. Everywhere In the town is
this question discussed. As it is point
that hinges on technical law. few seem
well enough Informed to prophecy the re-
suit.
VOTING PLACES.
Cranston has five voting places as fol-
lows: District No. ], Knightsville, in
town hall; Auburn, district hall. dis
trict No. 2; Fiskville, district hall, dis
trict No. 81; Arlington, district No. a,
Edgewood, district hall in district No. 8.