Arizona republican., 1911-11-14

managers, and notwithstanding the
great bother and expense, the work is
always done more or less inefficiently,
is never complete, and is never more
| than approximately reliable as to the
lists turned i'm to party headquarters.
Done by the state. at public ex-
pense, the polling of the entire cleo
torate will be a boon to all parties.
| In many states, as in Arizona,
county lists of registered voters are
printed, but the publication is in the
form of pamphlets for the official use
of election boards, and but few copies
are printed. New York takes a long
step in advance of most of the states
in requiring the publication of the
list of registered voters by newspa-
pers, and in publishing the party af-
filiatiOns of each voter
| The registration law in force in
| Colorado has a novel feature. A
voter once registered remains on the
register so long as he votes at such
election. If he fails to vote. his name
is dropped from the register and he
cannot register again until after the
ensuing election. This is one means
of DISTINGUISHING the careless citi-
zen.
Arizona several years ago adopted
an idea as to registration which was
good in the abstract, but the principle
was imperfectly carried out in the
statute. The law provided for a poll
| tax, and provided that no citizen
could vote unless he could show that
he had paid his poll tax. The law
was fatally at fault in two particu
lars; it permitted citizens to pay
their poll tax within a few days of
the election. whereupon their names
went upon the great register, and it
made no provision against the pay
ment of the tax by others than the
citizen himself. AS a result each
party organization in the several
counties set aside large sums for
registration purposes, and the very
class at which the law was aimed
the class of irresponsible, vote-selling
citizens-found a premium placed upon
their negligence BY failing to pay
IL, -. fnV baa CllN
zens found the party organizations
assuming the burden. The law was
repealed BY the following legislature.
In some of the southern states,
where the exclusion of the ignorant
vote was once a problem, the idea
which Arizona attempted to incor-
oorate in her election law has been
worked out quite satisfactorily. A
citizen, in order to be eligible to
vote. must pay his poll tax several
months in advance of the election; and |
his eligibility as a voter is destroyed |
If it is shown that somebody other |
than himself furnished the money /
with which to pay the tax.
By carefully Analysing all the new
election laws of the more progressive
states, and by approaching the ques-
ton in spirit of patriotic nom
the first legislature of
the state of Arizona can enable it
self to enact a comprehensive law
dealing with registration, the pri
maries, and general elections which
will have the approval of every good
citizen.
But ii is not at all likely that the
legislature will do this unless moved
hereto by an unmistakable public
sentiment For one thing, after the
session begins the members find
themselves too busy to acquaint them
selves with all the details of such
In important question, and out of
spirit of craftsmanship and careless
less combined they are too likely to
cave the work to machine politicians
Who think they can grind party axes.
The Young Mems club of Phoenix.
which is a nom partisan organization,
an do a great work for the state
" appointing a committee to gather
concerning the election {
avs of the several states, and then
a bill for submission to the
legislature which will include the best | {
leas which have been adopted else
There.