The Fargo forum and daily republican., 1908-10-31
WOULD CAST VOTE
AWAY FROM HOME

OTHERS AWAY FROM HOME
SHOULD BE ABLE TO CAST
THEIR VOTES - THINKS RENE
DY COULD BE MADE.
In line with the discussion about
the inability of commercial travellers
and other persons whose occupation
requires them to be away from home
large part of the time, to exercise
their franchise as electors, former
Congressman Frank t. Wachter, OF
Baltimore, Md. is out as the cham
pion Of the disfranck -sed commercial
Traveller. He says the country is los
ing the vote of thousands of CONNER
cial travellers, actors, travelling audi
tors and other rovers Of the Industrial
and professional classes who cannot
be home at the time of the national
and state elections This condition.
he declares to be a most unfortunate
one, inasmuch as it means an inforced
restriction of franchise, which cuts off
from participation in the affairs Of
the nation, great body of men who
are engaged in pushing their own pri-
vate business with energy, and contri-
buting in a material way to the bring
Ing up OF the country's credit In a;
recent interview in The Baltimore
News, he says:
THE bum, the loafer, the parasite
who hangs about the dives of his own
precinct, and who is unable to get
away from home on election day be-
cause he is either drunk, broke or la
n rtf ~ >1le
the business man of industry and solid
purposes, who happens by necessity
of business to be In another state The
lowest order of citizenship can vote
because he is there at the time; the
highest order of citizenship can't vote
because he is away hustling in the
interests Of his country's credit. Isn't
that a state o. affairs?
I don't know how many CONNER
cial travellers and travelling men OF all
branches are automatically disfran-
chised at every national election, but
1t runs away UP into the thousands,
perhaps into the hundreds of thou
sands If John Jones. representing
millions or thousands of soundly In
vested dollars in his country's credit
has business in Florida and wants to
vote In Maryland, he must sacrifice
his business for the time, pay his
fare home and return and throw the
order of his affairs all out of gear. In
other words, his citizenship is penal |
lied. He is taxed dollars, time and |
comfort to avail himself OF his sup
posedly inalienable right-a right |
which belongs to him without any con-
sideration whatever. And If he doesn't
vote, then the country loses the sup
port of one good man, and to just the |
extent that this loss is multiplied by
the number of such men automatically
disfranchised, the country and the
highest purpose of the ballot must suf-
fer.
Now, believe that every citizen
of the United States has IL right to |
vote in any part Of the United States
on any business Of the United States
and Mr.. Wachter, bringing his fist |
down with a thump, paused to let that |
proposition percolate.
But. Mr. Wachter, how are you GO |
ing to make 1t possible for man to |
vote away from homer
by uniform provisions OF the vari- |
GUS state legislatures!" the former |
congressman almost thundered, as he |
half rose from his seat in his enthu- |
siasm. why not? There is no politi- |
cal advantage at stake, there Is no |
question of state rights or precedence |
at issue, there is no graft, prestige or
prequisite invovled don't care what |
the political division of these itinerant |
citizens may be, whether republican |
or democrats or prohibition in the |
majority. The honest progressive in
terests, without which this country |
might as well shut up shop; and they
are type of men in touch with every
phase OF Industrial activity through |
out the world. They are the kind OF !
people we want to vote, no matter
for which party they cast their ballots.
So there is no reason why. the various
state legislatures should not get to-
gether on a uniform provision for the
| ..nerant vote.
my plan would be to let every
itinerant voter secure certificate OF |
registration bearing proper identifica-
tion either by photograph or descrip- I
tive matter from the superior court
Of his home. The legislatures would I
pass uniform measure recognising
these certificates, so that the itinerant /
voter could cast his ballot anywhere I
within the boundaries of his country. /
It would not be necessary to provide a
separate ballot, as the regular ballot /
could be stamped itinerant,' and the |
certificates deposited with the ballot |
In each case as q check. If the itin-
Grant found that, after all. he would T
Re able to vote at home, then he would |
deposit the certificate as a check |
against it's issue; and he could not |
vote without depositing it, as an entry /
would be made opposite his name on |
the registration books, showing that I
such certificate had been issued to /
him. There would be no chance what |
ever for repeating or for any other
abuse Of the ballot.