The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1904-09-29
NOT TIME ENOUGH.
Commissioner Williams Wants Viaduct
Election After November.

Election Commissioner T. S. Will
lians has taken a decided stand against
the holding of the proposed special
bond election prior to the regular fall
election on Nov. 8. He says it will
mix things up too much in his Office,
and ought not to be permitted by the
mayor and council.
1.-The special election should be
held" he said today, "either in con-
nection with the fall election, or few
days afterward. If an attempt is made
to crowd it in between now and the
fall election, the result will be that
hundreds of people in Topeka will be
disfranchised. They would not be able
to register in time to get their names
on the books"
Mr.. williams explains his disfran-
chisement statement as follows: The
law requires that the registration
books be closed ten days before each
election, but says nothing about Spe-
ciaI elections, and then ten days more
before the general election, there
would be only a few days left be-
tween now and the presidential cleo
ton for people to register. There are
still 1000 unregistered male voters in
Topeka, and they could not all get
their names on the books in the time
which would be available. On the 9TH
er hand, if the books are kept open
up to the time of the special election,
taking advantage of the silence of the
law on the subject, many people might
come into the commissioners office the
day before this special election, and
want to register. They could not be
denied this privilege, but their names
could not be placed on the poll books
and therefore great confusion would
result when they presented themselves
at the polls to cast their votes.
IF the council insists upon putting
this election in between now and Nov.
s." says Commissioner Williams. ct
would refuse to close the registration
books for the ten days prior to the
special election. The law does not
seem to require it. and 1 would have
to have some first Glass legal advice
on the subject before 1 would do so.
1t would not be fair or right to the
people who want to vote at the fall
election. We will have to register a
thousand people every week between
now and election in order to get the
full vote registered, and we can not
afford to close the books for that ex-
ira ten days"
To still further complicate the situa-
ton IL the special election is held be-
fact that women will have the right to
vote at the special election, but will not
have that right at the presidential cleo
ton. If considerable of a fight develops
against the proposed viaduct bonds,
there may be Sluite a rush of women
voters to register for the bond election.
That would add to the gaiety of things
for the election commissioner.
One reason why it would be better
to have a special election said Mr..
Williams. instead of trying to combine
the special bond election with the reg
ular fall election is the fact that the
women are eligible to vote at the bond
election and it would necessitate the
use of a lot more ballot boxes, poll
books, etc, and it might be would in
crease the expense of the election con-
sidera bly,"
If the city council at its meeting Mon
day night should decide that the special
election must be held on October 15,
and it should prove to be necessary to
close the books for ten days prior there
to, the commissioner of elections would
have to refuse to receive registration
from October 5 to October Is. On Oc-
tober 16, the books would be open again
and would stay open until October 80.
This would give exactly two weeks for
registration for the fall election. The
male registration of the city is about
4 900 below what it is expected to reach,
and it would require unusually fast
work to get 1000 names on the books in
two weeks.
People who have been delaying their
registration in the expecta ton that the
books would be brought out into the
various wards some time prior to the
election will be obliged to come to the
down town office to register. The books
are never taken away from the office
for the fall ELECTION, owing to the fact
that duplicate registration would be
unavoidable.