The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1898-10-14
Voters Beginning to Rush to the
Registration Office.
MANY QUESTIONS ARE ASKED.
Clerks Called Upon TO Settle Pecu-
liar Problems-Thoae Who Have
Registered Number Almost Ten
Thousand Nnturaifxed Citizens
Becoming Very Namerous-Facts
About the Registration Law.

The number Of voters registering Al the
city han Is increasing daily as the election
spprcaChes Sill the men IN the reE.stra-
ton office are overwhelmed by questions.
They have to encounter all kinds OF appi-
cations, from men who registered aast
spring and hence do not need 10 register
now: from men who have not been II their
respective precincts for ten days: from
men who dc not know precisely where trey
I've Yesterday f2s registered. making the
total up 10 last night 9
For the convenience OF those who con-
template registering il may he stated that
voters who registered last spring DO not
have 10 egister again for the election
which Is 10 take place November 5, On the
other hand. those who have not registered
since last year must register again now
II they expect 10 vote in the approaching
election. These facts are summarized IN
the following statement made ny Deputy
City Clerk Coryel yesterday TO a fost-
lnteligencer reporter:
ION the first Monday in January.
1895. a new set OF repatriation
books was opened and the old
ones were laid away. Only the
new set of books opened last
January will he sent TO the polls.
If voters would simply bear this
in mind il would save them ana
us a world of trouble.
.Of course II they registered
hst spring they do not have I"
register again for the pending
election. unless they have chang
ed their residence"
Voters should also bear in mind that in
case they wish tc vote II the approaching
school election ii is necessary for them 10
make an entirely separate registration.
This is conveniently provided for IN room
Immediately adjoining the general IeSs-
. tration room at the city hail.
4 feature Of registration Tor the -ast TWO
or three days has been the numoef on
naturaliZed citizens who are suddenly tax
ing allegiance TO the t government ar OF ,, a',s
ticularly has been kept busy administering
the oath OF citizenship 10 these newly
fiedged voters, who come from al parts OF
the world TO add their vote 10 The cosmo-
poitan citizenship OF the United states
OF the large number VINO applied for adj
mission 10 citizenship yesterday Judge
Hartford rejected TWO.
ONLY four DAYS remain in which voters
may register, including today. The books
are kept open each night until O'CLOCK
On next Tuesday. the last night for regis
tration, they viii! be kept open until mid
night People who are thinking of gong
up to the city hall 10 register should bear
IN mind, in addition TO the foregoing facts
the following oath. which Will be admin
stered 10 each OF them:
Il - do solemny swear. affirm,
that / am a male person over 20 years IL
months and 10 days of age NATL am
native-born or naturaized citizen or the
United States, or was legal elector or
the territory of Washington at the time
state of Washington; that have been an
actual permanent resident OF the state OF
Washington for eleven months and ten
days last past. of the county OF king FOR
seventy days last past, and Of the - pre-
cinct of the ward for ten days last
past; and that l have not lost my eivt
rights by reason of being convicted OF an
infamous crime"
In this connection it may be interesting
to natural.zed citizens 10 know that under
an established precedent they are not re
quired 10 produce their naturalization pa
pers in the registration room. For time
they were required TO DO so. the law or
the state STIMULATING that II was necessary
for each naturalized citizen, upon applying
for registration. 10 exhibit 10 the city clerk
his naturalization papers.
An interesting case grew out Of this law
In 1894 George SLOVENIAN was city Clerk
Mathew BranuaCaD 4 naturaiiZcd citizen
applied for registration, stating that he had
lost his naturalization papers Stoneman
declined TO register him. Brannagau went
10 the superior court and obtained a man
damus compelling the city clerk to grant
him the privilege nf registration upon mis-
taking oath that he had been duly natural
lied. The court held that that portion II
The state la requiring the actual exhibit
Of the naturalization papers was unconst.-
tutiOnai. StOneman had heen acting under
the advice 0f the corporation counsel but
after the court had rendered its opinion the
corporation counsel advised the clerk TO he
guided by the opinion Of the court. the
case never having been appealed 70 the
supreme court.
The precedent thus established has pre-
vailed ever since and while tho rtt.fStra-
ZION clerk Invariably asks the naturaHzed
citizen whether he has his naturalization
papers with him. Yet the absence OF the
papers = 10 bar to registration. provided
the foreigu-born citizen IS willing to take
oath that he has been legally naturallZed.