Evening journal., 1902-07-10
REGISTRARS MAY
ESCAPE DUTY
By Removing From District
in Which Appointed
LAWYER DlSSECTS THE LAW
Sees Valid Reasons to Exempt a Man
From Serving County as Elec-
tiOn Officer

II seems to be the opinion of thel
lawyers of the city that a registrar, orl
assistant registrar is not compelled TOT
serve the State in that capacity, as
many Of the registration officers be-
lieve. Recent editorial discussion of
this subject in the Evening Journal
has caused considerable talk in legal
circles. and when a representative of
this paper sought interviews with city
lawyers. a full and free discussion OIL
the subject was obtained.
One lawyer, who figures prominently
in State politics. voiced the opinion of
half a dozen of the lawyers in these
words:
Il will first take up the subject of
whether a candidate for Office can sit
as a registration officer. The law says
he shall not. The appointment of such
a man. / hold would be highly inn
probable, because the Governor makes
his selection from names sent him by
the County Committee. or course, if
the County Committee desired to con-
spire against any candidate for office,
it might recommend his appointment
as a registrar. But this could not be
the case.
Before entering upon the duties of
a registrar, the appOintee must swear
that he is a resident and qualified
voter in the district in which he is ap-
pointed to sit as a registration officer.
a resident of the United States, and is
not a candidate for any Office to be
voted for at the election for which he
is chosen.
The law seems to compel any man
who is not a candidate for office to
Iarfrf ( fe. f-rr, hut ha
may refuse to serve. All he would
have to do would be to move from the
district from which he was appointed.
This act would disqualify him as an
election officer in that district, because
be would cease TO be a qualified voter
in that district Although certain
classes of our citizens are compelled to
do jury duty you know many of that
class arc disqualified from service. In
terest in a certain case at the bar, or
nOn-residence are causes OF exemption.
you know.
Becoming a candidate for Office bars
a man from serving as a registration
officer. Why this is so is clear Ia
everybody.
Il am inclined to the opinion that
section of the act is intended to make
II impossible for any candidate for Of
fee to be a registration or election Of
ficer, for the reason that the act says
no man can become a registration OF
election officer without previously TAX
ing oath that he is not a candidate for
office at the election at which he sits.
About the question of failure to
qualify after appointment: The law
says that any man who shall refuse
to qualify after appointment shall be
fined $780, This language must be con-
strued in connection with the rest OF
. the act. and means no more than that
a man who is appointed as registrar
assistant, or alternate, to whose ser
ices there is no valid objection, must
serve. Valid objections, under the act
would be that the officer was not a
4 resident of the county voting district
or candidate for office. Without any
one Of these reasons an officer whc
would refuse to serve might be indict-
ed. and If any one OF these valid OBJ
iectiOns prevailed he would be indicted
If he did serve. Remarkable law, it is
true"
Taking the Oath