The Kennewick courier-reporter. [volume] (Kennewick, Wash.) 1914-1938, 1916-08-10
LIVE WIRE SPARKS


The time for registering is rapidly
slipping by and in many communities
less than half the would-be voters are
registered. We say would-be because
thew are not voters until registered,
and whole lot of them won't be. The
registration law has been very gener-
allv condemned thruout the rural COM
munities, but so far as this county IS
concerned, we fail to see where 1t
works any hardship on the farmers
commensurate with the good 1t ac-
complishes thruout the state. The law
provides that each voter shall register
once every four years, beginning 1916
and auadrennially thereafter, unless
he fails to vote at any general state,
county or municipal election held IN
the precinct in which he is registered.
If he fails, he must re-register.
The law has been printed and dis
cussed time and again in every paper
in the state, and there is absolutely
no excuse for anybody not knowing
that he must register. If there be
such person, we would certainly con-
slider him too ignorant to use the right
of franchise intelligently, and neither
he nor the state would suffer by the
omission. To degree, the same re-
marks would apply to the "won't-be
voter who neglects to register, for 1t
would be safe to assume that anyone
showing such lack of interest in public
affairs that he won't take few min
utes' time once in four years to regis
ter, would also lack interest enough
to study and investigate the men and
measures upon which he would be ex-
pected to vote.
We are assuming that the registra-
ton clerk does his duty as prescribed
by the law, and that he is conveniently
located. Down at Hover where so few
have registered, there has been some
complaint because Hughes, the regis
tration clerk, lives some two miles
out of town. Doubtless it is an in
convenient arrangement, and should
be remedied, but the Hover people
have only themselves to thank for
continuing the arrangement, for they
have never done anything toward re-
medying it except to growl. We be-
lieve that in most of the cases all over
the state where such fuss is being
made over the difficulty Of register
ing, il the trouble were laid before the
county commissioners, it would be
quickly righted.
The plain truth is that it is not the
difficulty of registering that is going
to disenfranchise large percent of
the farmers, but it is their own in
difference, and the occasional difficulty
is but lame excuse, for it is not on
ly the duty of every citizen, to regis
ter, but it is also his duty to report
to the county commissioners any diff
ficulties that may stand in the way OF
his registering, or any lapses on the
part of the registration clerk. No
complaint has been made to the coun-
ty commissioners Of Benton county,
and we are justified in concluding that
the low registration is simply apathy
on the part of the farmers.
The registration books close for
the primaries on September LIST, and
after the primaries they are again op-
ened again for a few days before
closing for the general election in
November. Many of the local issues
will be fought out in the primaries,
and just about the time the campaign
ing gets interesting enough to awaken
the "wont-be's" they'll find out the
books are closed. There is but one
safe way. If you would not be a
"won't-be" but would be voter, get
your hat and go register NOW.
1t would have tickled the people of
Hover had they been StatlOned along
the oiled road Friday morning be-
tween the hours of three and seven
where they could have seen the Ken
newick Boosters struggling back from
their assault on the Alfalfa larder.
We do not mean to intimate that the
acknowledged chickens, the carefully
nourished and hand-picked sweet corn,
or even the homegrown cucumbers
knocked out the visitors, for Attalia's
hospitality is reported to have been
genuine and overwhelming, but At
Italia is long ways from the turn in
the oiled road, and a whole lot far
Their back. Seventeen cars, we be-
lieve, made the assault, and we have
it on very good authority that the
cash outlay on auto repairs came to