The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1900-10-20
ELECTION WORRY.
Problems Developed by the Com
ing Political Contest.
Attorney General GODDARD Is
Kept Busy.
ANSWERS QUESTIONS.
Gives His Opinions Concerning
Most Trivial Matters.
Northern Kansas Voters Who
Lose Their Votes.
QUESTIONS.


Other business in the Office of the at
torney general has been temporarily
abandoned while the office force is de-
voting it's entire attention to answering
inquiries concerning the election laws of
Kansas
Every mail brings to the department
some disputed question concerning the
rights Of voters questions which are
decided every two years by an attorney
general and upon which there seems to
be dawning little light. even as time
goes on.
One man desires to know if. living in
the country, it is necessary for him to
register in order to vote. This IS such
a simple question that, were it not for
the sincerity of the letter, it would have
not been answered, but the attorney gen
eral wrote a very careful letter, explain
ing the law upon this proposition.
The question of the age of voters seems
to be an important one. This relates
principally to young men who attain
their majority within few days OF the
election, but only those who were born
on or before the 7th day of November
in 1879, will be permitted to vote this
year. Those having birthday ami
versaries later than that date can not
this year avail themselves of the priv
nege Of their first opportunity as clt1-
zens to cast a vote.
Kansas has no law on this subject SO
it was necessary for the attorney gen
eral TO follow the decision of courts in
other states. These courts have held
that when a man was born on November
7, tWenty-One years ago, that ne is en-
titled to vote on November 6 this year.
This decision does not apply particu-
larly to this year, but that is the law
as it has been laid down by the courts
and will govern in the absence OF legls-
lation to the contrary.
Tn of he a
a colony of settlers went to Manitoba
All their property was sold IN Kansas
and they went to the new country took
land and settled with the intention OF
maintaining there their future residence
their home. A few months of that
country cured the Kansas people and
in September and the question arose as
to the possibility of vote this fall.
The attorney general holds that these
people lost their suffrage rights in Kan
sas by going away from the state with
the intention of remaining at a new
home and that it will be necessary for
them to comply with the provisions OF
law requiring residence of six months
in the state and thirty days IN the
county.
The intention of the voter to make a
new home; to abandon the home In this
state. is responsible for the loss Of these
votes.
Another ante-election problem comes
from southern Kansas where the heads
claims in Oklahoma In many instances
these men have not given up their rights
in Kansas and Will not do so unlIl after
the election. Where a man does not eX-
ercise his prerogatiyes as a settler in the
new country until after the election; or
where he has not given up these rights
in Kansas permanently, he does not lose
a vote But when man abandons his
Kansas home and settles on a claim in
Oklahoma with the intention of COM
plotting his residence there at once and
leaves his family to follow him soon, he
loses vote in Kansas Where a man
makes but a temporary sojourn in the
territory, maintaining his residence IN
this state. his vote is entitled to be cast
in the Kansas election.
A large number of requests for Off
cial information from the attorney gen
eral come from southern Kansas and
touch upon this one proposition in de-
termining which that official is required
to ascertain the intention Of the voter,
which of course governs his right tovote-
The biennial controversy concerning the
rights of college students to vote in the
towns where they attend school is up
again and it will probably continue to
rise in all it's future developed tiresome-
ness until the end of time.
The rule which has been laid down in
this case is to the effect that where a
student who is a voter, in leaving home
to attend school, expects to make the
town where he goes, or any other town
or place where he can obtain employ
rnept either during or after the school
term as a means of livelihood; in short
starts out to make a new home wherever
his hat may be taken off. such student
has a right to vote provided of course
he has come within the legal require
ments of residence or citizenship.
Where students stay in a town only
during the school term returning there
after to their respective homes, they
have no right to vote in the town where
the school may be located.
These four propositions to which the
foregoing has referred constitute the
principal demand for information.
One man who will be p years of age
November II. was told he could not vote
this year He lives in Jewell county and
writes that he has been told there that
he could vote by saying he WASH, s'as the
time was so short no difference would
be made"