The Lamar register., 1914-10-28
ADVERTISEMENT
To the Voters of Lamar

in having the boundaries of Lamar
precincts Nos. 1, a and changed so
as to favor the opponents of dry ter
ritory.
Such report is absolutely untrue.
The change was made by the County
Commissioners because they were
compelled to do so according to law,
as the following opinion from Mr.. C.
C. Goodale will show.
l am publishing these facts to show
that l have been discharging my duty
as County Clerk as required by law,
and not in the interest of any special
person or cause.
Respectfully,
H. P. SYP,
County Clerk.
&C. GooDALE
Attorney at Law
Lamar, Colo.
June IS, 1914.
Mr.. H. P. SYP,
Co. Clerk of Prowers Co.,
Lamar, Colo.
Dear Sir:
Your question relative to matters
relating to registration in the pre-
cincts in the City of Lamar, which in
clude not only part of the city election
precincts but also territory outside Of
the city is received.
My theory of the law is that the
boundaries Of election precincts in the
city for city elections should be CO.
extensive with those cities for county
elections and that it is the duty Of the
county commissioners to change the
precincts in this city accordingly. Sec
ton % on page 361 Of the Laws Of
1911 seems to carry out that theory
and while that law is said to apply on
ly to election precincts included with
in the limits Of a city with more than
5000 inhabitants under Section 80 of
that chapter, yet at the same time
there would not be a different law
as far as the election precincts are
concerned in my judgment that were
under 5000 than those that were over
5000.
In my judgment the thing to do is
for the Board Of County Commission
es at their next meeting to make the
county election precincts embrace the
same territory as the city election
precincts do and then arrange the ter
ritory outside of the city in other
precincts, as provided in said Section
% a, then let the registration Of cleo
tors for the general election next No
vember be made just the same as it
has been done.
Under a recent decision of the Su-
peme court in AZ Colo. page 23S in the
case of People ex rel johnson v Earl,
ct al, the court held in the matter of
registration the statutes prescribing
the powers and duties of registration
officers are regarded as directory, the
theory being that the registration
should be made in such way that
every person who is entitled to vote,
to be properly registered and as Sec
ton % provides that this change of
election precincts can be done more
than three months prior to any city,
county or state election that the coun-
ty commissioners have the authority
any time not less than three months
prior to the next election to make
these changes in the boundaries of
election precincts.
There will always be confusion as
long as the boundaries of election pre-
cincts for county elections in the city
of Lamar are different from the boun-
DIARIES of the precicts for elections and
the sooner they are made the same,
the less confusion and less trouble
there will be. While some of the vot-
ers, who now vote in the city of La
mar at the county election will prob
ably have to go farther to some poll
ing place, yet at the same time that
matter ought to be adjusted and pre-
cincts, as have stated, made to con-
form with the city precincts.
Yours truly,
C. C. GOODALE.
N. B. Sec. 1929 Revised Statutes
Of 1908 provide that the Board of
County Commissioners shall provide