Valdez daily prospector., 1915-05-07
FRIDAY, MAY z, 1915.
ELECTION BILL SHORT OF MARK.

While the election bill that passed the senate yesterday improves, ill some instances, the present election system as applicable to territorial elections, it falls deplorably short of the mark. It not only fails to close the door against fraud, but in one glaring instance it opens it so wide as to all but invite it.
 It is true, the bill provides punish ment for election frauds, but exper- fence has demonstrated that there are always and everywhere men who will take chances, and that the on ly way to have a clean election is to keep unclean ballots from getting in- to the ballot boxes. The harm is done when the fraudulent ballots are cast, and punishment of those guilty for them does not remedy the evil. It is seldom, indeed, that proceedings subsequent to the balloting have suc- ceeded in purifying an impure cleo tion. As matter of fact the instan- ces of inflicting punishment upon those guilty of violating election laws are rare and far between. The disposition everywhere and nearly al ways is to let the matter drop after election. There are many reasons why this is so. Among them is the circumstance that those who have profited by the fraudulent voting too often become particans of the wrong doers, and those who seek to secure convictions are accused of not being good losers" The prosecutions are often looked upon as the result of the sting of defeat arther than as a righteous desire to punish crime.
 The senate improved the election bill by adding corrupt practices act, but it simply provides for punishing for the prescribed acts after the harm has been done. It locks the stable door after the horse has been stolen.
 As the bill goes back to the house it fails to provide for the registra- tion of voters previous to election, even in the municipalities where the damage is greatest. Teh need for such registration has been recogniz- ed by practically every town in Alas 1yo NhNy ch <o1y chances with fraud in choosing a del egate to congress and a legislature than in the selection of town coun- cilmen? There is no doubt but that there was illegal voting at Juneau in the last general election because of the lack of registration, and no doubt there has been illegal voting in other Alaska towns from the same cause.
 The bill, if it should become law, would permit man who will swear that he is qualified to vote in one precinct in a division to vote in any precinct in that division-and, if he is willing to take the chance, in any or all of them. The failure to require registra ion before election makes this provision particularly dangerous. AL most it might be called an invitation for fraudulent voting. These two pro- visions of the bill, perhaps, are not so dangerous in other sections of the territory as they are in the fast grow ing towns on the coast, but they are dangerous in any country where there is transient population.
 Registration should be provided so that lists could be checked before fraudulent ballots have carried their taint into the ballot box, and the right of the "itinerant voter" to the franchise should be clearly establish ed in advance of the counting of his ballot. By no other means can we be safe from the pollution of our elec- tions.
 The corrupt practices act should carry at least two other provisions: It should make 1t unlawful to employ hired workers" and it should re- quire publicity of campaign contri- buttons and expenditures both be- fore and after the election. As long as hired workers" are permitted there will be vote buying. And pub licity of campaign contributions and expenditures gives the voters infor- nation to which they have right