The news-democrat. (Providence, R.I.) 1906-1909, 1906-11-27
TWO NEEDED REFORMS.

bly that will come into office on the first Tuesday
In January next will be far less subservent to boss
ism than any legislature during the past decade
and half.
II is an equally safe assumption that it will
be more inclined treat with respectful attention
the demands of the people for legislation that will
put an end To some of the political evils that have
long existed in the commonwealth, than has any
legislature within the same fifteen years.
Many demands will be made no doubt and
among them there will be two that should receive
early and favorable consideration First is the
making Of radical changes in the caucus law, and
second, the extension of the time during which
non-property owning citizens may qualify them
selves as voters by registering
Experiences under the present caucus law
have been positively dsgraceful Practices have
been resorted to that the guilt could be properly
established would land the cuprits behind prison
bars.
These abuses are scandal not only to the
decent members of the party that suffers by them
but to the self-respectng members of the party
that profits by them The rank and file of the two
great parties honest and just. They frown
upon caucus chicanery because they believe the
caucus should be as pure as the election itself
Moreover they stand immovaby for a square deal.
Therefore they will be found urging upon the
legislature during the coming session sweeping
amendments to the caucus law. Indeed it is en-
tirely probable effort will be made to have en-
acted a measure similar to that in operation in
Boston and other Massachusetts cities, known as
the Luce law.
This statute has proven entirely satisfactory in
operation in the Bay State; and inasmuch as it is
practically application of election methods and
machinery TO the caucus it is an effective bar to
such outrageous trickery and chcane have
characterized primaries in this city for several
years.
The present registration law is notoriously i'm
adequate made so purposely to partisan
ends. Ii was cunnngly designed to discourage
registration and by doing to keep down the
registry vote.
AS originally enacted the registration law pro-
vided that the citizen must register before the first
day of January in the year i'll which he proposed
to vote. After years of agitation and struggle the
time extended to the last day of June of the
year in which the citizen proposed to vote
Even this extension leaves interval of more
than four months between the close of registration
and the time of voting. What is the result? That
thousands of citizens thoughtessly disfranchise
themselves, because four months before an election
there is nothing TO direct their attention to the
necessity Of qualifying themselves to express their
views at the polls
Two three months later, when the issues of
the campaign under discussion they realize the
fact that they have lost their votes because they |
failed to register before the last day in June |
There is no help for them. They must remain,
for that year at least inipotent onookers, however
much they wish to aid one side or the other to win
victory at the polls.
This is a discrimination against the registry
voter that should be tolerated no longer. The time
for registration ought be extended to the first of
October at least, but preferably to the 18th of that
month
BY that time citizens will be thoroughly |
aroused by campaign discussions to the need of
qualifying themselves as electors and will do so in |
larger numbers than ever before, and that, too. |
without the urging of party committees or the
labor OF house-to-house canvasses.
In neither OF the reforms suggested is there
anything partisan. Both parties as a whole desire
honest caucuses: both parties as a whole desire
full registration. These two reforms can readily
be secured il the majority in the incoming general
assembly hearkens TO the voice of the people rather
than to the dictation of rank partisan spirit.