Staunton spectator and vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1896-1916, 1911-03-03
NEW REGISTRATION
Is it Necessary, or is it Political
Gene?

- IL necessary, OF Is IL FoutAcs
| Gsme7
EDITOR DIsPATCH:
l beg to impose on the columns G
your valuable paper for the purpose Q
presenting few facts ON q most i'm
portant subject.
1t is with CONSERVATION that prac
tically all OF the registered voters 0
Staunton are told that there is ,
scheme on foot to compel them to b
re-registered, that is, to 60 agail
through this treadmill. The voters
are not blind as to where this cal
comes from, nor the object OF 1t.
The Electoral Board Of this city hal
been petitioned to order new regis
tration. The petition is doubtless
signed in part by men who are igno
rant Of the law governing in suct
cases, as well as Of the condition Of ths
books. But the Electoral Board In moi
ignorant. They must know what q
new registration will entail, yet We
fear they do not know or fail to realize
that a new registration is the last re-
sort, and is unusually hard on q COM
munity, and should never be ordered
where the books can be recopied OF
in any other manner made cor
rect, and further that if ordered it will
greatly injure the democratic party,
its officers being alone responsible fol-
the results.
Section II, Chapter 8, of the Code
provides:
1.-THE Electoral Board shall provide
for new registration when
ever in their opinion the same may
have become necessary by reason of
the loss or destruction of the registra-
ton books"
The books have neither been lost
nor destroyed SO these reasons do not
apply. "Or," says the Code, "when
SAID books are SO mutilated, blotted,
defaced or otherwise in such condition
as to render it difficult, troublesome or
unsafe to use them longer" The
books should really be unsafe. Are
ours difficult, troublesome or unsafe?
We ask for reply.
II is under these last clauses pro-
fessedly that the new registration is
sought. If these latter conditions ex-
ist, they have been made so by the
registrars themselves and it is asking
a great deal to compel twelve hundred
or more of our citizens to stop their
work, and stand IN line ON three days
and be subjected to the annoyances
and the labor entailed in order to have
their names placed on clean books,
which tomorrow may be again as bad
ly mutilated as they are today, for
they will remain in the same hands.
For our part we do not believe the
books are in bad condition, that is
''difficult, troublesome or unsafe"
Some voters have been told ION the
dead quiet" that this move is not to
put white ncl off, but to put off
negroes whc should never have been
registered. some call it q democratic
party move. All of this may or may
not be true. 1t is certainly unworthy
of aid if true. Many others believe
the object is to strike off white, az we'll
as black voters, who do not vote on
local questions to suit certain parties
interested, and this belief will not
down. So difficult has it been of late,
for some white men, fully qualified, to
get themselves registered. that COM
plaint is open, and possibly justly
merited. Men in every way qualified
have been time and again compelled
to apply to the Court for aid in cases
where the action of registrar has
been inexplicable ON any ground save
one, and that ground is that the per
son asking to register, was not person.
ally acceptable to the registrar. No
body dares deny this. Now it is pro-
posed to put the whole voting public
in the hands of two registrars. This
is the proposition before us. Are we
willing for it?
If the. books are defaced and
mutilsted, the law provides for such
cases. Section II, Chapter 8, of the
Code further says:
"Whenever the registration books in
any election district may be so mutt
lated and defaced as to render it
proper, in the judgment of the said
board, that the said books should be
copied, the said board is authorized to
order it to be done.".
Our registration books need nothing
but to be copied, if indeed they need
that, and on this point we defy sue
cessful contradiction. They can be
copied at cost of from $40. 90 to $500.
A new registration will cost not less
than $4,000 or ten cents for every
voter registered. A new registration
will compel every voter, except the $50
who are on the permanent list, to go 10
the expense and inconvenience of lay
ing aside his work, studying his ''cate-
chism" over again, for every man has
to write out his own application,
and then to go to the regis
trar'so ffice during Office hours,
and show to that officer, on that
day, that he is fit to vote. II he
makes mistakes, "Woe be it unto
him." 1t makes no difference that he
has been on the old list and that he
has voted many times. This registra-
tion is new one and every man in
Staunton, except $50 say, must ap-
proach this throne of grace, just as if
he had never been there before ssand
make his calling and election sure"
Our people, who will be affected,
ought to lcok at the law and see what