Waterbury evening Democrat., 1904-07-25
A LOOSE LAW.
Republicans Trying to Take Advantage by Enrolling
 Democrats.

A1A NlSsN VI IlS IdcL IiiHL some or Il0 frightened republicans are making such strong threats as to what they would do if any alleged democrat dared to vote i'll the republican pri- maries, q Democrat reporter took the time this morning to interview prom inent lawyer upon an interpretation of the primary lsw. The reporter stated his mission to the attorney. The lat ter chuckled in his we'll known man. ner for moment and then said:
 ''The republicans made a bull when they passed this primary law. Their intention. was to have law which would prevent man from registering with one party after he had already registered III the other, and also to prevent person from voting in both primaries. They failed utterly to do this. A man may change his political belief as often as he chooses. This is his right. Who can tell a mans poli- tics? Therefore last year he may have voted for somebody in q demo- cratic primary, while this year he may prefer to vote for somebody in a re- V said that man shall not vote in a re- publican primary when he was already Registered in democratic primary, un- less he asked that his name be trans ferred or erased from the democratic list, or vice versa. well and good, but the law does not say so. It simply de clares that a man shall not vote Ill any primary other than the one in which he is enrolled,' Therefore, it is plaln that a man may vote in both the, demo- cratic and republican primaries if he chooses as long as he is enrolled in both There is absolutely no doubt about this. If there were any doubts about it court would consider the intent of the law, but where the letter Of the law is so plain as it is in this case there is no question about the right of voter to attend both pri- maries if he chooses.
 Tt is amusing,p continued the attor- ney. Ito watch the antics of these frightened republicans all because they fear the strength of one man WHO is at present outside the breastworks. There was time when the republican leaders packed every caucus with dem ocrats, and when I say leaders mean the present leaders of the party and those who are not now leaders. An other strange thing to consider is the way in which the republican party begs and whines around for democratic votes on election day, and yet they don't think the man who Is good enough to vote their ticket on election day is good enough to vote for the republican nominee in the primary It seems to me that their attitude for downright selfishness is without parallel How about the foremen in the clock snop who were registering democrats all day Saturday for the republican pri- maries?
 T noticed the other day that the organ of the local republican machine told what it would do to the criminals who dared to vote in the republican pri- maries and the very next day many democrats received an official invita- tion from our congressman, upon paper which was paid for by the United States government, inviting them to register and participate in the repub- lican primaries. Nothing could be more inconsistent than this. Why does not. this same organ come out against the second ward republicans who voted in the democratic primaries last year against Lynch and are now regis tered i'll the democratic party? But of course this is very different It IS plain to be seen that some force is at work which is pulling the props from under the republican machine and if 1t falls some of those who are present high i'll it's councils are apt to get q pumping which they will remember for some time to come