Omaha daily bee., 1911-01-26
GOVERNOR SENDS
IN HIS MESSAGE
Continued from First Page.)

lied plan to provide all applicants for
registration of election day with free
holders said freeholder would swear that
he was well acquainted with said appli-
cant and knew his residence to be on a
certain street with certain number, when
as matter of fact they had simply been
introduced to each other on that present
occasion.
Il also call your attention further to the
fact that handful after handful of registra-
ton certificates with the city clerks name
and seal attached thereto and with the
signature OF professional freehoIders at
tached and that said blanks so filled out
were carried around by political workers
and were filled out in the hall OF the city
hall and not in the presence Of the city
clerk or election judges and in this way
as many fraudulent votes could be cast as
were desired by the gang" in control and
many thousands were so cast.
Governor Says Has Prof.
have undoubted proof now on file in
my office to substantlate each and every
| statement herein made and can furnish
as many witnesses are are desired to tes-
! tify under oath to the accuracy Of the
matter herein referred to- All Of these
statements, however, are 80 we'll and gen
/ public property and the mere statemen,
1 Of them is TO utter what everybody knows
| / desire further in this connection to call
your attention to the fact that a large
number OF notaries public were appointed
/ for the purpose of having applicants for
| registration make oath on the day OF cleo
| ton. These blank certificates were re.
4 ceiyed in practically every voting precinct
matey about 2.0OO The proof OF this
statement can be found In the office OF the
| city clerk himself; II is a matter OF rec.
| ord. number of ovters under this ar
| rangement appeared at the polling place.
! with blank certificates having only tn
name and seal Of the city clerk or IL
| notary seal thereon, and these certificate
were filled out at the polling places
II is we'll known fact that In the pri
mary election Of 1910 when the question
arose in Omaha as to what voters woulC
be permitted to vote on account Of theil
| failure to register that the mayor. city
clerk and city attorney had a meetinI
and these gentlemen determined that GER
uficates OF election could be issued a
any time by the city clerk.
| All these fraudulent acts were done unde
cover OF an obsolete statute that has M
I force or effect in this state and as a re
suit OF 80 using II, innumeTable fraud
were committed I'm said city. As proc
Of the correctness Of this statement ths
the statute under which these things wer
done is obsolete and null and VOID
lowing:
The Law.
In the matter OF the registration of voS
ers in cities OF the metropolitan class IN
legislature of Nebraska in 1889 enacte,
what Is known as the Baker iregistratio
law, the same being section ] 10 sectio
49, inclusive, article !, chapter lXNiV, com
: piled statutes for 1903. In said 1889 Their
D was also enacted a law 70 protect primar
elections and conventions of political par
ties, which said law was amended by tn
; legislature in 1903 the amendatory act be
. ing sections III TO 1873. inclusive. chapte
XVI Of the compiled statutes for the Yea
1893 In 1907 the legislature enacted a pr
mary election law, which said law RI
pealed al OF the act Of 1906 excepting see
ton l3oF and four other sections whic
are not material to this discussion.
q BY so doing the legislature OF 1903 In
tended that said section l25F should be IN
corporated I'm and made part OF the ger
{ cral primary election law Of this stat
r. Said section l25F as originally Included
r the act Of 1889 amended in 1903 and r,
embodied in the primary election law ,
1907, makes provision for the registratio
$ OF voters and also provides how a citize
Z may be allowed to vote who has failed
register on the days provided by law
a The provisions OF this said section l25
d being In conflict with section OF artic
/, chapter lXXvi OF the general Tegistrati,
law, our supreme court held in the ca
o Of DeFrance against Harmer that said Sc
tion l3F modified such general registrj
II follows than that the registration la,
D., being modified h., this said section 1ZJl
. the procedure r''ative to the registratlJ
OF voters In Ct,IvI OF the metropolitan ella
must be govsrnr1 4 s. this said election.
Provisions of the Law.
Section IS OF the genera registration Ia
~ for cities OF the .pettD politan class pT
\, vides among 9TH" things that when
= citizen has fauei 10 IeSIstCT h emay IL
d, nish 20 the iuJ B's a. election his affiday
y subscribed md sworn 20 before the c
clerk or SOME persun designated thereto
Do by the MAJ Dr.. ewing his reasons for n
X, having registered setting forth his pla
a. Of residence 1g ils qualifications as
30 voter, supporting said affidavit by q
Abide Vit or oath Of az least two freehol
ers, residents of said precinct In wni
g he offers 10 Nu''. as 90. the citizen bell
bona ude iGaabitant nf said preciu
and "a qualified sleCtor therein The 4,
prominent features Of this section rs
[ which I direct attention are first. the ]
derslgned citizen may take oath before