The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1900-06-13
QUESTIONS TO BE ASKED
No More Judicial Writs in Partisan
Politics.
AQUlETUs TO BE PUT ON THE MANDAMUS
Some important Changes Are Also Made by In
Bill in Regard to the Meetings and
Pay Of the State Board IF
Elections.


The Election Law, as amended,
and as it will be passed by the Legls-
lature today, was introduced in the
House yesterday afternoon by Mr..
Winston. of BERTHE, for the Committee
on Election Law.
1t passed two readings yesterday
and at the request of Mr.. Johnston,
CPopuist), of Sampson, went over un-
til this morning at 10 O'Clock when u
win come up as a special order, for
passage on its third reading.
Though there are q great number
of changes i'm the law, they are for
the most part of minor Importance,
some of them being the change of only
word or date.
The principal changes relate to the
method of ascertaining the right OF
the person to register and the two
sections regarding the procedure IN
the courts when the extraordinary
remedies of mandamus and inJunc-
tion are sought to be applied to the
provisions of the act.
With regard to ascertaining the
right of the applicant to register Mr.
Francis ID. Winston, who had charge
of the bill on the floor, said last night
that the law had been changed so as
to simplify the requirements when the
applicant is known to the registrar.
In those cases the law remains the
same as it was prior to 1893. But
in cases of persons whose identity IS
not known to the registrar, and 1or
the purpose of ascertaining the right
of such applicant to register and vote
the registrar is given larger pow
ers.
Touching sections SO and 80, in re-
gard TO injunction or mandamus
against election officers by the SUI
pren1e court, he said:
1.-THE Fusion election law introduced
into our political system the right OF
the judiciary to supervise the politl-
cal branch sSf the government While
all vestige of the Fusion election law
has been wiped off Of our statute
books, and no such provision is in our
law. we have simply removed from
some of the= indges the temptation to
invade the domain of politics with
judicial writs. The effect Of this will
be simply to let these writs issue only
after all the facts have been found
by jury at a regular term OF the
court
The principle change in the law are
as follows:
TO section / is added provision for
the election of "other State officers
whose election is not otherwise pro-
vided for by law" and to section 2
is added 'and at such times elections
shall be held in the several judicial
districts of the State for the office
Of solicitor" TO sections is added
land other officers elected by vote
of the township"
Section 5 provides that in addition
to the expenses of the State election
board now TO be paid by the State
Treasurer. shall be ''such other eX-
expenses as are necessary and incident
to the discharge of the duties imEOs
ed by this act" Also it provides that
the chairman may call a meeting upon
he application Of two members, ''of
If there be no chairman, or the chair
man does not call such meeting. any
three members of the said board
shall have power to call a meeting OF
the board. And any duty imposed
Dr power conferred by this act may
be performed or exercised at such
meeting although the time for per
forming or exercising the same pre-
scribed by this act may have expired y
1t is made the duty of the county
board of elections lin section 10) to
meet on the first Monday in May 1900
and biennially thereafter land at
such other times and places as the
chairman of said board or any two
members thereof may direct
''Section II. That before the next
general election on the first Thursday
in August, in the year of our Lord,
1900, provided for in this act. there
shall be an entirely new registration
of all persons who shall be entitled
to register, in every voting precinct
in the State, and only such persons as
are registered shall be entitled to
vote in any election held under this
act. That in all eases the applicant
for registration shall be sworn by the
registrar, before being registered and
shall state and answer his names age
place of birth: place of residence,
stating ward, if he resides in an in