Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1904-10-28
BETTER CUT IT OUT

A furore was attempted 10 be raised
AZ The time when q political primary
was held IN the district where the mfr
mary Is located, over the attendance Of
some OF the inmates Of that institution
at the meeting The idea was advanced
that they ought not to be placed ON a
political equality with taxpayers and
wealthy citizens The Deseret News
took Mp the objection and showed It's
fallaoy both from moral and q legal
standpoint
There Is no property qualification Tor
voting In Utah and the richest citizen
and the poorest citizen are placed upon
an equal plane as regards the elective
franchise. II Is only when property Is
TO be taxed for specific purpose that
non-taxpayers are barred from voting
upon the matter To deny the right Of
suffrage to an INDECENT person, who
may have been On hls time a heavy tax
payer, but has been forced by calam-
w to lean Tor support upon the pub
lie IS both inhuman and illegal
1t ls now claimed that a number Of
the inmates Of the ln0rmary have been
registered IN that district and their
names are objected to by party man
ager ON the ground that they ere not
residents OF the district The provision
Of the election law relied upon for a de-
mand to strike thet names on the list
Ia this
"A person must not be- held 10 have
gained or lost residence 10y reason or
his presence on absence while employed
I'm the service of the United states or OF
this state, nor while a student OF any
institution Of learning, nor while Kept
i'm any dlmshouse. on other asylum az
the public expense, nor while confined
I'm any public prison, nor while residing
upon any Indian or military reserva-
ton. Revised Statutes Sec nos par
?.
The evident object OF this provision Is
20 protect the citizen. not to deprive
him Of the franchise, by reading the
entire section the intent OF the law VIII
be made clear. II a person has been 10 |
the state one year In the coun-
~ four months and 10 the pre-
olnct sixty days next preceding |
the day Of election. the law says that |
person h resident within its mean
ing That IS his domale where he is
located with the intention Of remain
ing. The same section says
THAT place must be- considered and |
held to be- the residence of q person w
which. ibis habtation Is fixed ana TO
which. whenever bee Is absent. ne mas
the Intention of returning Par l.
n any OF the inmates who have reg
istered have homes somewhere else to
which they intend to return and which
may be termed their domlclle or legal
residence. they may be deemed nom
residents OF the district where they
have registered But Il thy have no
other permanent place OF abode, they
have not lost residence by being IN the
indrmary, They have not saIned
residence IN the state. perhaps by
reason Of being DO that institution. but
they were residents before they enter
ed il and have not lost that status by
their unfortunate condition. II their
habltatlon Is fixed there they must be
have registered. But o. they have no
other place Of residence II that is de-
nled them, then they lose their resi-
dence through their misfortune, and
the law fails to give them the protec-
ton for which 1t was enacted
II may be said perhaps. that the
matter win be decided by the courts.
Well perhaps not just now We
should think that no person or party
would want to press "a case 90 deprive
a citizen OF his political rights because
he is in poverty, II Is certainly not a
party matter. But II We are not
the State courts have all
ready passed on the question in favor
" the poor and the decision, rendered
some years ago, Is Of course q matter
NJ record A good deal depends upon
the spirit in which legal action Is taxi
an, ana In this instance the motive
ioes not appear very chiyalrous or in
spired by the genius Of the law or OF
equal rights and privileges. Better
let II alOnel