Daily inter mountain. [volume] (Butte, Mont.) 1881-1901, 1900-04-24
REGISTER FOR
FALL ELECTION
E'ght-Year Law Does Not Ap-
ply to Butte.
OLD BOOKS WORTHLESS
New Law Went Into Effect in Feb
ruary-~Attorney General Will
Give an Opinion.
OLD BOOKS WORTHLESS

The county commissioners AVE en-
countered a snag in connection with the
registration of voters for the coming fall
election, but it will be removed in time
to prevent interference with the election
and it's preliminaries.
In the vault of the county clerk and re-
corder are stored twenty books each of
which contains the names of qualified
voters at the election of 1898. Since the
meeting of the legislature in 1899 it has
been generally supposed that those who
registered for the previous fall election
would not be compelled to register again
for eight years, but the startling discov-
cry has been made that the law govern
ing this subject does not apply to in
c~orporated cities or W having a vot-
ing population of more than 1,0OO. There
fore, the law does not apply to Butte, AND
/ the result will be thai each person desir-
| ing to vote next fall will either have to
register again or lose the right to cast
| his ballot for a better brand of govern
ment. If the contention advanced in
| connection with the law as applied to
towns and cities, the old books in the
vault are worthless.
The new law became effective at $3.50
p. m. on February II, 1899, and reads as
! follows:
1T is the duty of the registry agent at
any time when called on to do so, at his
respective offices and not elsewhere, pro-
vided that the board of county commits
sioners may designate places for regis
t~ration, within any registry district,
in addition to the home office, be-
tween h hours of 9 a. m.
from 9 a. m of the fourth Monday prior
to any general election to 8 p. m. OF the
second following Saturday, to receive
: and register the names of all persons
; such election, or who (being otherwise
qualified) will have legally acquired q
! residence at the date of the election and
who AVE a right to vote at such ensuing
election according to the provisions OF
law under which said election may DC
held, in each election precinct within
their respective Districts; provided that
such registry agent shall on the seconc
Monday prior to any general election, De.
tween the hours of 3 o'clock a. m. anC
9 p. m. at his main and nome office II
his district, receive n register, as othe1
voters are registered, according to law
the names of all such legal voters of nj:
+, said district, who are otherwise entitled
to register, and who shall, In addition
satisfy such registry agent, by oath OF
affirmation and by additional evidence
If required by such registry agent, tina
they were by sickness or other physica
NOlSaDlllIy, or ny uHdVOludOle dDScliSs
during the entire previous two week:
last past from each registration distric
unable to register at any time during
the two weeks last past. Provided. tina
except in registration districts included
in an incorporated town or city. Whfci
town or city contained at the last proceed
ing state election over 1000 registered
voters, such general registration of al
voters shall only be required every eigh
years from and after the year 1898: ant
any person who has been registered in an.
district, except as above noted. at an.
time within said eight year periods, ant
who has been a continuous resident o
such district since such registration shall
be entitled to vote, If otherwise quail
fed, without further registration. IT a
any time it shall be made to appear, b,
the affidavits of two credible an
responsible electors of the district tina
> any registered person has died or perma
nently removed from the district the reg
istry agent shall place such afldavits o
file and shall cancel the entry with re
ink and shall inter- the date and cause @
: such cancelled name shall not appear i
the printed list, copies of thu official reg
listers and check lists herein provide
for"
The act has been closely studied b
;. prominent attorneys and a difference !
opinion arose among them as 10 its az
plicability to Butte. but the majority hol
to the belief hat the eight-year claus
applies only to the sparsely settled cour
ties of the state. The attorney genera
Q however. will be asked to give All opinio
on it.
: Prof, Robinson's dance every Thursda