Daily capital journal. (Salem, Oregon) 1903-1919, 1913-04-23
THE STATUS OF WOMEN
MARRIED TO ALIENS
Unless Husband Has Taken Out His
Final Papers the Woman Cannot
Vote.

At the request of County Clerk
Gehlhar, Acknowledgement Crawford
today rendered an opinion on the sub
ject of the steps necessary for women
to vote in this state. }
The states legal department holds
that an American-born woman, married
to an alien, who has not declared his
intentions to become a citizen, if they
| reside in THE state, has no right ia
| cast a vote. In other words, the at.
torney- generals opinion is to the effect
that unless foreign born person, mar.
ried to an American-born citizen first
takes out his first papers, the wife
daughter or sons cannot vote in either
city, county or state elections, and THE
county clerks in each county have nc
legal authority to accept such applica.
tions for registration unless the above
agreements of aliens are fulfilled.
Additional Expense to Counties.
According to County Clerk Gehlhar
every county in this state will be sub
ject to additional expense, as the re.
suit Of the new registration law passed
by the last legislature. After June 3D.
the new registration lay will be in eff.
feet. Registration then will REQUIRE 81
loose'leaf records, or registration books
that will correspond in size to that of
40 records of deeds now on file in this
county. Aside from this great bulk of
election records, the county clerk is re.
qmred to issue a separate duplicate of
registration record, and furnish same
to every legal voter in the county.
To add further to the additional ex.
pense which will be incurred by the
passage Of the new law, a special card
system must be maintained. To com.
pile the Marion county registration rec.
oids alone upon cards, will require a
pile of cards not less than 6 feet high,
figuring most conservatively.
The estimated cost of initial sup.
plies prior to the holding of future
elections under the new law will
exceed $3.50, and there is no provision
in the statute covering the cost of com.
pilation or disposition of the records
More Election Officials.
1t is the duty Of the county clerks,
under the new law to appoint official
registrars in each district in the re.
spective counties 1t is now incumbent
upon County Clerk Gehlhar to select
Al officials to serve for the next elec.
tion to be held in this county, and the
work of canvassing the county for
suitable registrars will commence with.
in a few days.
Heretofore, any notary public was
possessed with the authority to regis.
ter voter by signing his affidavit
but from now on, the official registrar
will have sole supervision over every
district in the county.
In order to encourage the registration
of the women voters throughout the
county, County Clerk Gehlhar is com,
piling an application blank which will
be sent TO the various districts. This
blank is to be filled out by the regis
trar accepting and returned. II is thu
desire Of the clerk to secure as many
women applicants as possible, in view
Of the contention that women voter
will more readily register when the
registrar is Of the same sex, than tC
place male registrars in charge. There
fore, the women Of Marion county will
be given the preference insofar as reg
istration officials are concerned.
Each registrar, as compensation fol
their work will be awarded 10 cents pei
name for every voter registered in tn,
precinct in which they are appointed
The registrar will be compelled to I'll,
n bond in the sum Of $500 with IN,
county.
-
Scutari Ia Captured