Scott County kicker., 1903-04-25
GOVERNOR GIVES REASONS.
wAy 0sv. Deshsry Vetoed . 1911 Amss1'
las Ne 0ensral Eleetiea Law
% Missouri.


Jefferson City, NO., April ie.--Go'.
Dockery to-day vetoed the bill passed
BY the last Legislature amending the
state election law 20 that voter, II
challenged, would have to present the
sworn statement Of . freeholder OF
the township that he 10 legally quali'
Aed 20 vote before his ballot can be
cast.
The governor says the bill is un.
precedented and would be likely to
work unnecessary hardship without
really making the elections safer. Ills
message vetoing the measure says, in
part:
To the Secretary Of State: Sir--1
have the honor to forward to you
herewith, without my approval in.
dorsed thereon, house bill No. 1S.,
IAN act to amend section 71o5 Of ar
ticle II, chapter 1o:, Revised Statutes
Of 1899, relating to elections" which
reached me within the ten days next
before the adjournment OF the gener.
al assembly.
This bill makes an innovation in our
election laws, which, SO far az ]
know, 10 without precedent.
Under existing statutes, when the
right Of person to vote 10 challenged
by an outsider, the question is deter
mined by the Judges Of election upon
evidence satisfactory to them. This
bill lays down an ironclad rule to be
applied in all such cases hereafter.
The person challenged must furnish
"thc sworn testimony Of at least one
resident freeholder Of the township
In which he offers to vote. in addition
to his own sworn testimony that he
Is a legal voter, before he shall I've
entitled to vote" The judges Of elcc.
tion are precluded from acting upon
any evidence. except the sworn testi.
mony Of a resident freeholder of the
township
Prove . Hardship.
As a practical question II 10 possible
that this rule may work we'll in some
instances. but it will indubitably
prove a hardship in many others. 1t
may be said that one offering to vote
in a township should he sufficiently
acquainted to be able to furnish at
least one resident freeholdcr us
witness to his qualifications MS vot.
or. This Is true il the qualification
depended merely upon residence. hut
the challenge may he based upon 9th.
CIR grounds.
This bill requires n freehOltler. that
II. q land owner. as witness. The
witness must not merely be land
owner, but he must also he . resident
Of the township.
II Is obvious, therefore, that this
bill disqualifies all other property
owners except land owners from tes.
tifying as o witness when voter 10
challenged. II 10 new and startling
departure from our well-establishsd
election laws.
Great inconvenience may be occa.
stoned. where the voting place is IN .
part Of the township distant from the
home Of the person challenged. 1t
will frequently be very difficult. and
sometimes impossible, for him to re.
turn after securing witness from his
own neighborhood in time to cast his
ballot.
Other cases may occur where the
person challenged would be able to
establish, to the satisfaction of any
reasonable man, by evidence that
would be competent in any court OF
Justice, that he is a qualified voter,
and yet, under this bill, such evidence
could not be received.
Question Of Age.
II voter about to cast his first
ballot 10 challenged on the ground Of
homage, he may be able to show by
the family records, or by the evidence
of some member of his family. that
he 10 entitled to vote. and yet, unless
he can produce . land owner TO testi.
fy to the fact. his ballot under this
bill would have to be rejected. The
testimony Of a father, brother or 9th.
er relative would not he sufficient to
establish the age of challenged par.
~, unless the witness was also able
to show that he was resident owner
Of land In the township.
I utterly disagree with the proposi.
tions laid down by this bill. The com.
potency or reliability of witness
does not depend upon the character
Of the property he owns. Indeed,
witness may be absolutely competent
and reliable without the ownership of
Q dollar Of this worlds goods of any
character. The ownership Of land or
other property 10 not the test of com.
petent integrity.
The law a. 1t stands permits any
outsider to challenge any person Of
fcring to vote. The Judges must then
be satisfied Of the qualifications Of the
voter by evidence establishing that
fuct.
I think this question can be safely
intrusted, a. 1t has been heretofore,
to the honest judgment OF faithful,
competent and upright election
Judges. With officials Of that char.
octer, the danger of illegal voting is
minimized, and without judges OF that
class additional requirements MS to
evidence will be unavailing.
RssiAsuso ana wasshouss Durnsa.
Fire at Greenwood, Miss, destroyed
q residence and . warehouse, entail.
in9 Q loss estimated at $500, with
partial insurance.
Fiss st Leland, Miss.
N. L. Townsend's furniture store
was burned at Leland. Miss. Heroic