Watertown leader. [volume] (Watertown, Jefferson County, Wis.) 1909-1911, 1911-06-02
Archaic Registration Methods
Revealed by Senator.
POWER IN ONE MANS HANDS
Rristow's Plan to Make the District
Political "Dog"-Congressma
LittIepaee Writes of Himself
Mexican War Scare Story
Brazen Fake.
BY WILLIS j. ABBOT.

political revolution that overturned
the state and sent for the first time
since 1894 two Democratic senators
to Washington.
Take for example the case of Sena-
tor William E. Chiffon. He comes
from Kanawha, one of the busiest and
most prosperous counties in the state,
with a population exceeding that of
the state of Nevada, made up mainly
of miners and men engaged in the
development Of it's rich coal, iron. oil
and gas lands.
After studying the obstacles we
had to encounter" said Mr. Chiffon,
and keeping IN mind the history of
the state, it seems to us Democrats
who won the victory that it is fairly
incredible that we should have sue
ceeded. The state is historically, and
was naturally Republican. It's people
broke away from Virginia on the is
sue of secession and were given sepa-
rate statehood by Republican con
gress and administration. We had
not merely this sentiment to combat
but to a great extent the hostility of
the employing classes. Our state is
essentially an industrial one, domi,
mated by great corporations engaged
in the exploitation Of our unrivaled
mineral wealth The managers OF
these corporations were-as men OF
their type always are-distrustful OF
the Democratic party. But the out
come of the recent elections, not
merely in West Virginia, but through.
out the nation shows that distrust to
have been very largely allayed.
Archaic Registration Law.
But all other impediments to Demo
cratic success are dWarfed and fade
into nOthingness by the side of the
archaic, indefensible and corrupting
registration law with which the state
Is cursed. How we ever got past that
law is beyond all comprehension II
took mighty hard work and some
money used 1egitimately to compass
it.
Take my county for example
Kanawha. 1t is forty miles long by
about 80 wide In it there are 109
registration districts each with its
own registrar. Mark that, its own
registrar We don't have bipartisan
boards Of inquiry in which the rights
of each party are protected by its
own representatives. One man is the
supreme and sole arbiter in each dis
trict of the question Of who shall
vote and who shall be denied that
right. And how is this man selected
He is appointed by the Republican
county judge on nominations kindly
furnished by the Republican ma
chine! What hope of a fair registra
ton could spring from such a sys
tenn?
But more. How does this man &C
about registering the voters? Does
he have an office? Not always. L
he does it is his personal office, he is
not tied to any special hours and is
under no obligation to open it to the
public. Is there a day of registra
ton? None at all There is no time
or place fixed for citizens to appear
before him and demand their names
W Put OpOi Liz lOli
BrstoW's Bill Looks Good.
II bill introduced into the senate
the other day by Senator Bristow be
comes law the District of Columbia
will gain new distinction. Washing
ton has long been the favorite dog
on which theatrical managers try new
plays. Senator Bristow is going &c
make Of the district a political dog on
winch to try out a new plan of nom
mating candidates for president and
vlce-president. | use the comparison
with the theatrical managers in nc
oepFecatory sense, for the Kansas
senator's plan seems to be emphatical
~ a good one.
In brief, his bill provides that the
residents of the district, after comply
ing with certain formaIities as to reg
istratlon, ETC., may have the right tc
vote at primaries, conducted under
the direction OK the district commits
sloners and psid for out Of the dis
trlct fund. for their preferred candi
dates for president and vice-president
for the delegates to the national con.
Ventlons, and for the district national
committeeman. Republicans and Dem.
ocrats would naturally vote separate
tickets, and in each instance the voter
has the right to express his first and
second choice
Under the rules Of the two great
parties the District of Columbia has
the same representation in national
conventions as have the territories
namely. two delegates to the Repub-
l1can convention and six to the Demo
cratic. The disparity in numbers is
explained, or at least excused, with
the plea that the two-thirds rule in
the Democratic convention makes six
votes OF no greater consequence than
two in the Republican But there are
not wanting those who hold that DO
!itical divisions having no votes
should not have hand in nominating
candidates, 1t is quite conceivable