New-York tribune., 1897-10-16
THE vOTELEss VOTERS.
r,,o,rsANDs INTERESTED IN THE CAM
pA1GN DIsFRANCHIsE THEMSELVES
.-,rrs WHO RESORT TOO EXTRAORDINARY
vrANs TO GIT vorE-THE QUESTION
OF RESIDENCE AND HOW IT
is INTERPRETED

A.. American citizen who has lived in cleo
.., district for thirty days preceding the day OF
I,oo,,on four months in the county and one
or IN the State. who is not disqualified. and
mo has been properly registered in keeping
..,.h the law on that subject may vote for the
Mayor ana o'he' oi"0eis Vi 'io"''i - ~
IN November >.
pr, on that day thousands Of men who are
daenly interested in the campaign who
.nsak and argue to make converts for their side.
IA who watch every move Of the contendng
.o-ces with much care as the candidates. VIII
=. h,srranchlsed because Of their own careless
and unfortunate arrangement OF their Dus!-
.,. dates BY far TIE largest number OF lost
..,ss are charged to the account forgot to
register"
:, one Of the northern districts an Incident
..,a,e1 IN the course OF the registration for
.,a last general election which shows how it
.,,aned" in hundreds Of cases. ward work
=, looked in upon the Registration Board on the
r,ine Of its first session. TOO late TO stop
.tis morning" he said see you later" The
x, day he was busy and on the evening OF the
,s, registration day he came a few minutes
o.ter the books had been closed. and fumed and
,wore and ranted because he had lost his vote
ts was one Of the large number of citizens VINO
,sb to vote but cannot. Another large class
,s known as the "Dontcarcadarns. Among
,,sse are the men who will not remain in line on
rlsct!on Day If they think their turn is fifteen
r,nutes off II VIII wait until afternoon. one
ususuv hears these men say. as they slip out
and go 70 their business. About one IN SIX OF
This class gets back to the polls before they are
,,osed The other five gained few minutes IN
,ir,e for their business 10 give up their voice in
the election.
Another large class Of nor-voters Is made up
n the commercial travellers Hundreds OF these
men are now or the road in the Soutn ana west
and will be away until after election ana 1ul as
many who are now In the city VIII PACK 'he'i
sample cases and trunks within week OK
Election Day and viii! be far from the me-
tropcls on November -
There are drummers in the employ or New
York concerns who have grown old IN the SER
vice who were born in New-Nork' ana Always
made New-Yoyk their home. who never cast
vote Their lines OF merchandise must be put
before their customers in October and November
and when their fellow -drummers. who have their
time off then are entertaining trade at home
and taking part in the political campaign, they
are 'hustling' on the road. During the last Ma
tionai campaign effort was made by the Busi-
ness Mems Sound Money League to induce busi-
ness houses 10 allow their statesmen 10 remain al
home 10 register and TO return in time 10 vote.
and it is believed that hundreds Of votes were
made for the sound money ticket in that way
The man who docs not live, but simply
boards" is another voteless man. When the
sad autumn days have come the bachelor nom-
ad discovers that his room is less comfortable
than II was before he went TO the country; that
the service is bad and that the little school
teachers conversations at the dinner table have
lost their charm and he packs up and moves
into another place and misses his chance TO
vote.
TIE LAW AS TO RESIDENCE
But while 1t is true that thousands Of citzens
miss their chance to vote, 1t Is a fact also that
many men resort 10 extraordinary means to tx-
srcise the elective franchise. The law makes
specifc provision as to "voting residence,
and under tina. head the State Constitution
says:
For the purpose Of voting, no person shall be
deemed to have gained or lost a residence, by
reason Of his presence or absence wniIe .m-
plovsd in the service Of the United states; nor
while engaged in the navigation OF the waters
Of this State. the United states. or OF tne
high nor while student OF any seirlnary ~
other asylum, or institution wholly or parity
supported at public expense or by charlty, p1r
while confined in any pubic prison 'oeC'l''' D.
Article 9 State ConstitutloHJ
The At;orney-GeneraI has decided that a
residence is not changed By engaging IN the
service Of the Government and thai the quss-
ton of the place Of residence OF voter is largely
a matter OF intention
As general proposition. it may be stated
that the residence required by the Constltu-
tion IS q place which person has fixed as a
habitation without any present intention OF re-
moving therefrom. residence once acqulrui;;
continues to be the residence OF person IntI
such person absents himself therefrom and 20.
Gates AT another place with the intention Oh
there remaining Temporary absence, with the
purpose of returning. does not effect change
of residence Opinion OF Attorney-General)
According TO the election code residence
Is the place OF abode the place in when one
usually has his home The Attorney-Genera
says:
To reside in a particular election district and
countv is for one to have his home usually ana
AZ the time Of election in such election district
a person, In order TO enutle nm 10 vote nus
as before stated. be a resident OF such electiuIi
district thirty days, Of the county four months
and OF the State one year, and, Tor tir pII
pose Of voting" II is b. oW Constitution pro
vided that mo person shall be deemed 10 nave
gained or lost residence by reason oi ms pres
ence or absence while employed in IN" s,rVice ,e
Of the United states, nor while engaged III "
navigation oC the waters OF this state or ol tH'
United States. of the nigh seas; nor Whne d
student of any seminary OF learning hol nm
ION. AT any almshouse other asylum Al puo-
lie expense; nor while confined in any puOhC
prison - IT, ,..,,.,o, ,,o,, oro
election district I, another, in the same county
,rithin thirty days previous ~ q genera or spc-
cial election he thereby loses TIM right 81 yot-
ing at such election II ne remove within tAlrly
dave of n town or city election, from one town
10 another in the same county, or rom rom one one
ward tn another IN the same city COR from one
election district 10 another IN the SAM
city or from one election dsulcl oi
town having election districts for town meeting
TO another election district in til" same town.
Re thereby loses the right Of voting az sue"
election COR town. ward or cltN oHlceis. -
II must be borne in mind tha' no person can fnr
fas is sometimes errOneous'y belleNedp vote ioi
Governor 3r any Other officer except III the
election district Of his actual residence
The law seems TO admit Of no misconstruc-
ton: and vet men who have changed tner resi-
dence within thirty days previous 10 e'ecuo'
are allowed to vote Bachelors arrange matters