South Bend news-times. (South Bend, Ind.) 1913-1938, 1915-01-17

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/ be enough. Then preceding each
other election. state, county or mu-
nicipal, there should be a special
registration for new voters. due TO
their having come of age, or having
moved into the precinct since the last
general registration. Registration.
once in four years. is enough for the
man who is not "a rolling stone;" who
sticks 10 one residence and gathers
moss. The Hemphill bill, introduced
in the senate has a tendency in that
direction.
They tell US that registration is in
tended 10 minimize corruption in cleo
tons and that II has failed. That is
the main trouble with il. II has not
failed. on the contrary it has been
a decided success. The success thus
far that Dist. Atty Daley has had at
Terre Haute. has been enhanced to a
considerable degree by the existence of
the Indiana registration law. The in
dictments in Indianapolis and Evans
Vile, though dismissed for INSULT
cheney. have served TO disclose line
OF corruption which but for the regis
! tration act would never even have
gotten as far as past the grand jury.
The law should not be blamed because
prosecuting attorneys do not know
how TO frame a good Indictment
Talk about the expense of regis
tration is subterfuge. The men who
are really back of these bills don't
give a rap about the expense. That
plea is advanced as an appeal to the
parsimonious They expect il TO
catch the support of the farming COM
munities-it having been learned that
the farmers knowing each other well,
and feeling registration in their case
unnecessary, regard it as an unnec-
essary expense and an unwarranted
inconvenience.
But under the constitution Of In
diana, registration must proceed by
general, not by special law. That
was settled by the supreme court
when an attempt was made TO have
registration in the cities, and not in
the country. long ago. The farmers
Of Indiana need To bear this in mind
and in connection with it, that regis
tration in the cities is indispensable.
it, but without it. and the bars thrown
down 10 well-nigh undetectable
, floating vote. as in former years, the
country has no show at all. Country
voters can we'll afford the slight ex-
pense and passing inconvenience to
help keep the cities-the more thick
ly settled communities-mOre nearly
straight. In county. congressional,
state and national elections the vote
of the farmer and the city man go in
together in the final count. and the
only assurance the former has that
his vote will go as far as the latter.
is for him TO see TO IL IL possible, that
the latter is not permitted. whether
by direction or indirection, to vote
more than once.
That is the thing that the registra-
ton law helps TO accomplish. 1t gives
a little chance to investigate the
qualifications OF questionable voters
/
and it was this investigation in Terre
Haute, Indianapolis and Evansville,
that laid the basis for the certain
amount OF recent trouble.
We doubt very much il the legisla-
ture Of Indiana. much less the people,
will be misled. by this cry OF ex-
pense, inconvenience. or inefficiency.
The old days of political corruption
are gone never to return. The DEM
ocratic party could not do a more i'm
polite thing than 10 repeal this law,
say nothing of the present time. with
charges OF political corruption in va
rious parts of the state, aided in the
uncovering by the law, still pending.
Amend it, increase it's efficiency. and
If possible. cut down the expense, but
repeal Il, never.
The registration bill introduced by
Sen Hemphill is only one OF several
that have been promised for this ses-
sion and approaches the idea OF
those who contend il should not be
necessary TO register every time an
election is held. Under Hemphills
bill voters would not have 10 register
more than once so long as they re-
manned in the same precinct. Reg
istration is required before the clerk
OF the circuit court from sixty TO
thirty days prior 10 the election and
the boards OF county commissioners
must furnish to the election officials
copies 81 the lists OF registered names
with the ballots. Registration in cities
OF the first and second class would be
before the city clerk and his duties
would conform TO those Of the county
officers