The age-herald., 1900-03-20
REGISTRATION OF
 VOTERS ORDERED In Birmingham and in Suburban
 Towns. PRIMARY ELECTION PLANS The Meeting of Sub -Committee-Assess- ments Levied Against Candidates. Chairman Finds Objection to
 Registration System.
PRIMARY ELECTION PLANS

tration of all white voters in Birmingham, Bessemer, Ensley, Pratt City, Woodlawn and Avondale, and levied assessments against the candidates to meet the expenses of tho primary election. The following resolutions were adopted:
 Resolved, That all the white voters of beats 21, 29, B, 34, 37 and 54, and sub-divis- ions thereof, be required to register before they shall be entitled to vote in the pri- mary of April IA, 1900.
 Resolved, further, That registration shall begin on Monday, March 26, and continue to and including Saturday, April 2, 1900.
 Resolved, further, That the registration books shall open at a. m. and close at P. m each day, except Saturday, March 31. and Saturday. April ', when they shall close at ?. m.
 Resolved, further, That on the day of the election the registrars shall be at the poll ing places above mentioned at a. m. and remain until the polls are closed and shall be required to register all white voters who have not before that time been duly regis tered.
 Resolved, further, That if registrar shall fail to appear at any of the voting places above mentioned on the morning of the election the managers shall appoint a registrar, So that no person entitled to vote shall be denied the right to do so.
 The Me, tng
 The subcommittee met yesterday morn- ing at g o'clock in the office of c. P. Bed dow, the chairman. The members of the committee present were c. P. Beddow, Walter Moore, R. J. Waldrop, J. S. Ken nedy and E. A. Little.
 During the meeting MT. Kennedy offered a resolution requiring all white voters In the precincts above named to register be-
  April primary election. He was seconded by Mr. Little, who said the voters of Bcsse- mer favored registration. M, Waldrop said if the people wanted the voters in the cities named to register he was in favor of it. MT. Beddow gave expression to the same views. MT. Moore said he didn't think the people wanted a registration, that 1t would operate to prevent some legal voters from participating in the primaries, and for that reason he opposed the resolu- tion. The resolution was adopted, Messrs. Beddow, Waldrop, Kennedy and Little voting for it and MT. Moore voting against it.
 The new beats, Ensley, No. 45, and Huff man, Mo- A. were allowed b and delegates respectively in the county convention.
 The election officers will be divided be- tween Senator Morgan and Governor John- ston in the following order: In alternate beats Senator Morgan will be allowed two managers, one clerk and the returning offi- cer, and in the others two managers, clerk and the returning officer will be al lowed Governor Johnston.
 Apportioned Among Candidates
 The primary election and registration ,iytoo S2 000 and to meet this expense the candidates were assessed as follows:
 For governor, $50; five candidates.
 For sheriff, s100; seven candidates
 Judge criminal court, s1OO; one candi- date.
 For clerk of criminal court s50; six can- didates.
 For treasurer, s25; -four candidates.
 For tax assessor $50; two candidates.
 For tax collector. s1OO; one candidate.
 Fer coroner, s2O; eight candida tes.
 For board of revenue, s15; twenty can didates.
 For superintendent of education, $35; three candidates
 The candidates must give their names and pay the amount eff their assessments by the 31st instant and also sign the pledge required of all candidates whose names go on the official ballots.
 The committee wi,l meet again Thursday and appoint registrars for the beats in which registration is required. The regis vices.
 The managers for the election will be appointed on April B. Lists from which tH. to the committee not later than March 31.
 Chairman Greene Talks
 Daniel A. Greene, chairman of the Nor gan campaign committee, on being asked as to how he was satisfied with the action of the subcommittee, replied that he had no fault to find with the plan as adopted except as to the registration, and as to that, it was wholly valueless. He said:
 My conception of the object of registra- ton is to have all legal voters to register their names a reasonable time before elec- ton so that the list may be open for in- spection some time before the election, in order to prevent repeating and Illegal vot- ing.
 Under the plan adopted by the com mittee this cannot be done. II provides for registra ton up to one week before election, and then permits anyone, without any req son therefor, to come in and register on election day. Under this plan a man who is so disposed can register illegally as cas- lily as he can vote illegally, and 1t is then too late to prevent the very object of regis :ration. The only plan of fair registration is to permit only such persons to vote who register within the required time, or who, by reason of sickness or absence, were un- able to register. As it stands the commit tee has put additional expense on the can- didates without one single safeguard against fraud.
 Ut is far worse than the plan originally adopted. because by that plan the commit teeman for each beat was required to make poll or census of his beat which was to be published before the primary, and only such persons whose names appeared on that list were permitted to vote, unless they made independent ana satisfactory proof of their right to do so. Under this