West Virginia argus. [volume] (Kingwood, W. Va.) 1877-1946, 1905-06-01
THE NEW REGISTRATION LAW.
Another sample Of Republican Reform
and Confusion COMPOUNDED.

and Confusion COMPOUNDED.
Nearly every citizen in the State
has long realized that fraud in voting
is the crying political evil of the
day. 1t began several years ago
and has increased by leaps and
bounds in the last three or four
elections.
The settled conviction of thinking
people has at last grown to>be that
there is but one way to solve the
difficulty, the enactment of a regis
tration law that will let no one vote
who is not registered before election
day, and will require the list of
voters to be completed and closed
long enough before that time to
allow ample opportunity for investi-
cation of doubtful cases.
The Constitutional provision pro-
hibiting the requirement of registra-
ton as a prerequisite to voting that
long stood in the way of any efficient
registration law was solemnly re
pealed by the people three years
ago. And this repeal was then uni.
versally understood to be demand
on the part of the people that a law
should at once be passed that would
put stop to fraudulent voting as
far as it could be done 10y the best
devised means of registration.
In what manner have the Repub
lican leaders obcyed the mandate OF
the people, and what has inspired
the course that they have pursued
on this question ?
In the legislative session Of 1908
they refused to pass any bill at all.
And now the Legislature of zoos
has given the people a measure that
II would hardly be possible to make
more abortive or ineffective. 1t
simply makes confusion more con.
founded. What was cloudy before
is now densely dark. No one can
realize how impossible it is to de
scribe the little that the act does
until he has read it, and then he
will understand that he is little
hazier on the subject than he was
before. The only conclusion that
is arrived at with any unanimity Of
opinion is that it makes il a little
more difficult for the honest voter
to get his name on the voting list,
while fraudulent voting is left Just
where 1t was before. If any voter
in the Second Congressional district
doubts this let him observe what is
now being done to get voters on the
voting list by the 9th day of June,
and let him note on that day the
experience Of the voter whose name
is not on the voting list. If this
does not set him to thinking why
the Republican leaders have per
sistently refused to give the people
an ineligible, practicable registra-
tion law nothing else will.
OF course the real reason is that
they do not wish to put an end to
fraudulent voting. They profit too
much by it,. Under an efficient
registration law the fraudulent vote,
that is now a disgrace TO certain
sections Of the State, would soon
cease to be a potential factor that it
now is and for several years past
has been in West Virginia politics.
Hence this reckless disregard for
the peoples will as solemnly ex-
pressed al the polls in the Consttu.
tional amendment requiring an eff
cient registration law.
Will the people continue TO put
up with this indefnltely7 Or are
they at last beginning 10 realize that
the only way TO secure obedience TO
their behcsts is TO vote down at the
polls whenever they have a chance
all those who who openly and boldly
refuse TO obey them If so the first
Tuesday In June will not only dem
onstrate what a miserable makc-shift
this rcgistration measure is, but it
will also give the voter an opportu
nifty Of expressing himself on the
registration question, as well as on
the rcassessment Of real estate and
other kindred questions Of taxation
that vitality concern the welfare Of
The whole people. Ills vote for
. Colonel Davis viii show clearly that
he does not approve what has been
done 20 increase the taxable value
Of The farmers property, nor what
has failed 90 be cone TO check fraud
ulent voting.