St. Tammany farmer. [volume] (Covington, La.) 1874-current, 1907-09-14
Governors SHELTER on Reg
1strat1Ol of Voters.

1SGFttAUA Ol VOGGFSs
Baton Rouge, La, Sept. 10.-Gov-
err or BLANCHARD has addressed the fol-
lowing Letter to the Assessors of the
State:
Dear Sir For the first time in the
history of tie State primary election,
ordered by hw, will be held. presuma-
bly, in Janury, for the nomination of
all State ami local officers.
1t Is the purpose of the administra-
ton to sec to it, as far as lies in its
power, thatth election is absolutely
fair to all Candidates.
An impofsnt feature of this primary
election is.the registration of voters
preceding it. AS the Assessor of your
parish, you are the Registrar of voters
for the parish.
The Legislature intended, and l SO
in struct you, that every facility should
be given to those entitled to do SO to
register.
The list Of registered voters, as the
same may appear on the registration
books of the several parishes of the
State, is a permanent roll, to be added
to from time to time, and there is,
therefore. no need of an entire new
registration.
This roll may be supplemented by ad-
ding the names of all persons qualified
to register who may offer to register at
at any time, provided they pre-
sent themselves for registration at the
Courthouse of the parish.
Section % of Act 1919 of 1898 declares
that the registration books shall be at
all timss open to inspection, provided
the same does not interfere with the
work of registration. Copies of what
the books show are entitled to be pro-
cured by those who desire same.
Section % of the same act prohibits
the Assessor from opening his books
on any boat or water craft, and pro
bibits him from going to unusual places
under pretence of affording opportuni-
ties to voters to register.
Section 81 of the same act makes the
refusal of the Registrar or Clerk of
Registration to register any person
legally entitled to register a misde-
meanor punishable by fine Or imprison-
ment.
The Registration office should be
kept open all the time during business
hours of each day for the purpose of
registering voters AS they may appear.
The Registrar of Voters or the Clerk
of registration should, therefore. be
every day duy during the usual bust
ness hours at the Office of the Assessor
at the parish seat of the parish.
Act No. 11S. of 1904 should be con-
suited by you as to the hours for keep
ing the Registration Office open. and
for other duties of the Registrar of
Voters. But in connection Herewith
you should also consult the Primary
Election Law (Act No, 81 of 1906.
That law seems to require that the Of
fees of registration should be open
prior to the primary election, and kept
open, since under section % thereof
no voter is permitted to take part in
the primary election who shall not haye
registered at least ten days prior to the
primary election.
This contemplates, of course, that
the Registration Office shall be kept
open prior to such primary election,
and to within ten days of such cleo
ton.
II aslso requires that seven days
prior to the primary election the Reg
istrar of voters in every polling precinct
in the parish certify to the same, and
that and within three days before the
primary election, deliver the same to
the respective parish committees of the
parties holding the said primary cleo
tion; and this without cost or charge
whatsoever.
While there is no period Of time
fixed in the Primary election law when
the Registration Office shall be opened,
the fact that the act fixes date prior
to primary election when the Regis
tration Office shall be closed seems to
carry with it legislative interpreta-
ton that the Registration Office is al
ways to be open at the Courthouse.
This is the view of the Attorney Gen
eral, and in it I concur.
From this time on until ten days be-
fore the date fixed for the primary
election you will keep your office at
the Courthouse open each day, except
Sundays and legal holidays, during the
usual hours of business, and register
all who apply for registration, and who
are entitled thereto under the law.
Clerks of registration are appointed
by the Governor, and wish you to send
me the name of a competent man for
appointment as clerk in your parish.
This man must be fair and strictly i'm
partial. He mnst not be an active par
tisan of any candidate. He must be
a man who is far more anxious to dis
charge fairly the duties of his office
than to further the interests of any
candidate. He must himself be can
didate for no Office in the parish or
State.
Where there are two or more politi-
cal factions in the parish, the man you
name to me for clerk should be one
acceptable to the leaders of the fac.
fions. They should be consulted in
his appointment, reserve, of course,
the right to make an appointment in
of the man you name.
will hold the Assessor and Clerk of
n.