Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1920-08-23
OLD RULES FOR NEW VOTERS
ARE SIMPLE BUT FIRM
The Women Of Philadelphia Owe to
Victorious Cause the Serupu.
lous Observance Of the lndls-
pensabie Formalitles

| tEMl NINE curiosity WERE TedilS
l. Unsuitable. Smull's Legislative Hand
book would now be leading the list Of
nonfiction best sellers on the bookstalls
of Pennsylvania. Within its ample
pages is described with scrupulous pre-
cision of detail the whole machinery of
voting and the qualifications necessary
to the performance of that vital act of
citizenship.
The narrative, however, Is not en-
livening and we do not recommend the
new class of electors In this state to
read il. Admitting. as W. s. Gilbert
did, that 1.-THE law is the embodiment OF
everything that's excellent" the fact
that It has a weakness for depressingly
elaborate verbiage cannot be denied.
The chief impression conveyed to its
readers (if any by the latest "Smull'
Is that elections in this commonwealth
are a process Of appalling intricacy and
the qualifications for voting involve the
mastery of bewildering mass of red
tape.
And vet the male electorate rather
seems to enjoy election day and the
announcement Of registration dates IL
accepted with a right good cheer. Since
the intellectual superiority of men over
members of the opposite sex NAV be
called at least debatable. it is fair to
assume that the difficulties of qualify
ing to cast a ballot have been ex-.
aggPrated.
4 little feminine curiosity on this
subject would. of course. have estab-
lished this truth long ago. But 1t Is
difficult to be strongly interested In
theme with which one has no personal
practical concern. Clarifying questions
that wives might have asked their hus-
bands or daughters their fathers were
not propounded.
That "Smull," though easily avail
able. was rejected, may be accounted
good thing. Direct experience Ia the
best teacher. and hundreds of thou
sands of Pennsylvania women are now
crowding without the school house door
Within another year those who have
profited by the nineteenth amendment
will no longer be mystified on the now
dominant topic of election credentials.
By that time the act of qualifying will
have become automatic and consequently
easy.
II is indeed easy today, but that does
not alter the necessity of performing
certain simple duties without which the
women will be debarred from voting.
The technicalities, if not at all onerous,
are certainly of an imperative nature.
The first step, so far as this com
nunity is concerned. will be made next
week. when the City Council will ap-
propriate funds for the assessment OF
! the women voters. Assessment is for =
midable word. but it simply means that
Icanvassers will establish the status OF
the new electors rs taxpayers and vii
make a list of them. II they are en-
rolled they can register. II they havt
duly registered they can vote for Pres
ideut and other officials on November .
The story Of the entranchised womer
in this city will run about ike this:
Within a few days the assessors II
the various election districts In which
PHILADELPHIA Is divided will call Mt th'
residences Of adult females. The In
Iouiry will last for five days. The nameI
of citizens secured will then be poste'
on lists In the division polling places
August 81 and September ! will be Sc
annrt for revisions and additions.
II will be we'll for all the prospective
new voters to visit the polling place OF
those days TO guard against errors o.
omissions. The law provides that as
sessment must tane place within slxt!
days of the date Of the election. Their
will not, therefore, be many las
chances after September l unless sue
cessful appeals in special cases are man
n the Board Of Registration Commis
sioners in the City Hall.
Once assessed, the next move OF tn
newly epfranchised woman will be reg
istration. This act Is performed In tn
same division polling places where tn
assessors will sit. The registration day
are September 2, September IA an
October Q. The women will be aske
TO state their names, age, weight
height. residence, their position a
Iodrer. householder, owner or lessee
their occupation,if anyytheir birthplace
their length of residence in the state an
in the division. II they are naturalize
they will be asked to produce their clti
zenBhip papers.
: In order to be able to register
woman-or a man, for the election law
NOW make no distinction of seI-mut
have been a citizen for at least on
J month, have resided in the state for or
! vear (or II a former resident for 81
nonths), and must live in the distri'
et least two months before the election
. Women more than twenty -one ana M
e vet twenty two are exempt from u
( navment Of any tax for permission
: register and hence vote. Casting ba
= lot under this condition is known
q voting on age
d II the registrant is property own
Q a state or county tax receipt must
o produced or an affidavit taken that d
ray has been paid but the receipt los
All other applicants for registran'
must pay a poll tax Of fifty cents go'
as registration credentihl for tV
10 years.
o A deputy tax collector will be post
:" in every polling place and will sell q
receipts. The registration places W
It be open on the three specified days fro
n a. m. TO ! p. IN. and from p. N.
II 10 p. IN.
' Delinqurnts will be enabled to regist
on certain special dates before &
y poorf of Registration Commissioners