The Chickasha daily express. (Chickasha, Indian Territory [Okla.]) 1899-current, 1916-03-21
SUBSCRIPTIONS RATES.
NEW REGISTRATION LAW.

The registration law that was enact
cd by the last legislature is thus ex-
Ilained by Stale Senator Charles r.
Barrett:
"A careful reading of the registra-
tion act, which is now the law, will
convince every fair minded person
that its purpose is worthy effort to
confine the privileges of the ballot to
those citizens of the state and of the
United States who by virtue of their
residence age, naturalization and
other qualifications prescribed by law
and the state constitution are, and
by right should be, legally entitled to
vote. 1t prescribes no property
qualification, and takes away from no
citizen the rights and privileges here
tofore enjoyed in Oklahoma. When
it is finally placed in operation it will
protect the legal voters OF the coun
try just &C the legal voters of the
cities are now protected by registra-
ton laws, and it will exclude from
the right to vote Those who have
failed or refused to comply with its
provisions; or those who have nor
gained residence; those who have
not been naturalized and those who
have been convicted Of crime, and
who have not had their citizenship
restored II is just as important that
men who are not entitled under the
law to vote should be kept from vot-
ing in a country precinct as it is in
a city precinct, and it is just as inn
portant that every citizen in coun-
try precinct who is entitled to vote
should have his name registered and
that he be protected in that right as
it is that his city brother should have
that protection Floaters, travelling
hobos, wandering negro cotton pick
ers and non-citizens of that kind have
no more right to vote at country
precinct than they would have in a
city precinct, and it is to protect the
state that this registration act was
passed, extending registration to the
country as well as the city.
"Oklahoma is new state. In many
sections of it rapid development is
taking place, and hordes of people OF
every class, nationality and kind are
rushing into those sections for a tenn
porary residence as the result Of Il
sudden and short lived boom. Only
a few of these people have any idea
of becoming permanent residents in
the locality or state. Many of them
are Indifferent to the welfare of its
citizenship, and to a great extent
needless of its avs, and to this ex.
tent are a menace to good govern
ment and the orderly development
and growth of the state. These ir-
responsible and adventurous elements
are always subject to corrupt influ-
ences and in primaries and close con-
tests they frequently decide serious
political and economic questions. As
a rule they pay no taxes and never
become identified with the citizenship
of these localities. 1t is important
then that a record should be kept OF
the legal voters in each community
in order that the qualified electors
may enjoy the full fruits of their citi-
zenship and not have their will over
ridden by the votes of men, who
under any state law would not be en-
titled to vote.
''The fact that every man who voted
in 1914, and who remains in the pre-
cinct in which he then voted, must be
registered without application, will
relieve the law from any criticisms
that its operation puts the average
farmer or citizen of town or village
70 extra trouble TO enable him to vote.
anc once registered the voters will ex-
perience no further bother unless he
should remove from the precinct in
which he is registered to another |
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