The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1911-09-06

| John A. Lapp, writing for the In
dianapolis News, makes the following
comment on the registration of voters.
which is now compulsory in this state:
One of the means which was adop-
ted early in many states to purify the
ballot was the registration of voters.
Its primary purpose was to prevent
that most fragrant abuse-"Repeat-
ing"
Long before the secret ballot came
into use the subject of registration
was prominent. In Indiana. all
| through the seventies the agitation
sage of an amendment to the Consti-
tuition in 1879 and 1881, which was
submitted to the people in 1881 and
adopted, requiring the legislature to
pass a registration law. The provision
reads than an elector may not vote
unless he is registered according
law" But no valid law was passed,
hence to be registered according
to law" was not to be registered at
all. For thirty years the legislature
failed to carry out the express COM
|
year when comprehensive, and to all
appearances, before trial, an excellent
law was enacted.
Must Appear Before Board.
Hereafter every voter must register
in order to vote at any general cleo
ton and to vote at the city elections
in certain cities. To do this he must
appear in person before the registra-
ton board on the day fixed by law
and present statement signed by
himself, giving personal facts which
are necessary to prove that he is a
qualified voter In case he can not
write, his application must be attest
ed by his mark and by the name of
some person of the township who
| knows him. 1t is made an offense for
any person to sign such an applica-
| ton unless he is personally acquain-
teed with the applicant.
! All persons appearing are registered
by the board in the proper books
and these constitute the list of quail
fled voters on election day. No per-
son may vote unless his name ap-
pears.
Three chances are given to register,
one hundred and eighty days, sixty
days and Twenty-Five days before ell
ection. A voter may register on any
one of these dates, but if he registers
on either of the earlier dates and
then changes his residence, he must
have a certificate from the auditor OF
the county to that effect. The in
tent of the original bill was to require
all persons to register six months in
advance and then permit only those
who change their residenc to register
at the later sessions, but this was
amended to permit registration on any
of the dates and thus the purpose of
the first registration day so long in
advance was destroyed, though the
date was left.
Makeup Of the Board.
The board which registers the vot-
ers, consists of a registratfes inspec-
tor appointed by the county commits.
sioners and two registration clerks,
one from each party, appointed by the
inspector on. the nomination of the
there are similar registration officials
appointed by the city authorities. The
law applies, however, only to cities of
more than fifteen thousand popula-
ton. Others below that figure are
exempt.
If the voters of Indiana think this
system of registration hardship they
should observe the new laws of New
York and New Jersey. These require
personal registration with some extra
frills intended tc insure absolutely
that the man is the same individual
who registered under that name
The trouble in those states, and it is
by no means confined to them, was
that fictitious names were placed on
the lists and the names afterward dis
tributed to repeaters to use in their
rounds. 1ndiana's law will quie effec-
lively prevent that by the signed ap-
plication.
But in New York city the situation
called for extreme measures, so in
1908 a registration law was passed,
applying to New York city, which re-
quired every voter to sign his name
in the presence of the board. In ad-
tweny items of personal facts. Then
on election day, the same voter had to
sign his name again, opposite his regis
tration day signature. The compar-
ison was easy. Deception was prac-
tically impossible. If the voter could
not write he was asked list of ques-
tons relating to his famil history The
list was preserved, and on election day