Durant weekly news. (Durant, Choctaw Nation, Indian Territory [Okla.]) 190?-1944, 1916-01-28
PROGRAM FOR
IMPORTANT LAW
General Registration Of Voters Seems
Certain as First PrOvision.--Rib-
bon Ballot Is PropOsed.--May BE
Ready this Week.


The following view of the prospects
and conditions regarding proposed
election law legislation, appeared in
the Dallas News the first part of the
week, and is from the pen of George
McQuaid, correspondent for that pa
per at the capital city:
This week will probably develop
what sort OF an election law may be
favored by the Democrats of the Leg
islature. SO far there has been no
draft made public Committees from
the caucuses of both the House and
the Senate are working on bills.
These committees are consulting the
Governor from time to time. The
cnucuses have not invited the Govern
or to appear before them, and some
disposition has been manifested by
Democrats OF the Senate to take no
steps toward making out bill on
the election question until the sub
ject shall have been formally submit
ted to the Legislature by the Execu-
tive.
One thing that seems certain is
that the grand registration law will
be enacted. Many members want q
ribbon ballot" without party en-
blems OF other designation as to the
politics of the candidates whose
names appear on the ballot. There is
great protest as to this from some
members OF the Democratic party,
because Il would involve the necessi-
~ OF voters not only being able to
read, but to know the name of the
nominee for each office on the ballot.
Discussing this phase Of. the mat
ter, Senator M. S. Blassingame, of
Sallisaw, who is in favor of this sort
of a ballot, said that many of the
Democrats who live in Oklahoma City
and the other larger cities of the
State do not realize that there is no
longer any considerable number OF
Iliterates in the Democratic party of
Oklahoma. "The illiterates of both
the Democratic and Republican par
ties, with the exception of the NJ
groes," said Senator BlassingaTae,
.'are now almost all in the Socialist
party. The general run of Democrats
and Republicans, except negroes, in
Oklahoma, can vote the ribbon bal
lot with intelligence and accuracy" /"
There are protagonists of a poll
tax qualification in both houses. and
this feature of the matter may as
snme some proportions before the
law shall be enacted Representative
Garner, of Boswell, is one of the pol
tax pr0pagandists He says imposi-
tion OF such qualification would be
the best possible way of eliminating
the negro and the worthless white
from cIuttering up the elections. This
belief Is shared by number of MEM
bers from the southwest part of the
state.
Separate elections for State and
Federal officials is being advocated
by soice. 1t is claimed by those who
woGid solve the question this way
that the State could then impose a
Iiteracy qualification, even one based
upon The grandfather feature, so far
as the election Of State and County
Officials is concerned, and allow the
elections for members of Congress to
be held at other times than the State
election, and take the bride off in
these contests. This might lose the
State two or three seats in Congress,
but the members whose tenure would
be jeopardized do not seem to be
alarmed, and some of the leading
Democrats in the 'black belt" are
confident that they will be able to
get their share of the black voters
support if no restrictions at all are
Imposed
The policy of separating the cleo
tiOns has many adherents in the ca
bal OF county officers who are trying
to secure the elimination of the State
and county election in presidential
years, and to make this reform ef
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