The news scimitar. (Memphis, Tenn.) 1907-1926, 1920-10-12
VOTERS COMPLAIN.
Of INABILITY TO
FIND REGISTRARS
Some PrCincts Have Neither
Officials Nor Books~-Can't
Vote This Fall Without
Registering.


Many complaints were registered
Tuesday over the failure of the cleo
ton commission to provide facilities
for registering the voters in the va
rious wards in the city and some
county precincts. At many of the
registration booths, neither books.nor
registrars had been provided Tues
day morning at II o'clock. With half
Of the three-day period FOR supple
mental registration passed, many
voters were showing anxiety over
the situation.
Complaints came in and were veri-
fled by The News Scimitar. from the
following city booths:
Precinct Of the Fifth ward, Bat
tiers pharmacy, reported that no
books were on hand until this morn
ing, wnen the books arrived, but no
registrars were present to hold the
registration. Copeland's Pharmacy,
booth for the first precinct. Twenty
fifth ward, reported that neither
books nor registrars had shown up.
r. M. Koehler, first precinct of the
Twenty-fifth ward, reported that no
books nor registrars had been seen at
his place. He stated that he had US
ually acted as registrar in the past,
but that he had received no notifica-
tion that he would be expected to
serve this time.
Reports coming in yesterday morn
ing stated that books and men to
hold the registration were lacking at
Glendale and Millington, county pre-
cincts.
One man who was on the job in an
affort 4o yroIyiHo 70 rilttfeu for Fppia-
tration found later in the day that
his place, the former place for reg
istration in his precinct, had not been
named by the election board for
holding the supplemental registra-
tion. This was II. G. Folsom, of the
Red Cross Pharmacy, Orleans and st.
Paul, the first precinct Of the Eleventh
ward. The election commissioners
announced Tuesday morning that the
booth had been moved to Mckinley
street and Polk avenue. and will be
freld Of the place OF business or
]. u. Mulcahy.
The commissioners stated that they
. were doing all that was humanity
possible to give the prospective vot-
ers a full opportunity TO register.
They said that with the state> and
national elections a short time away.
and with these three days affording
the last opportunity for voters to
register, they realized the importance
Of affording complete registration
facilities and were exerting every ef-
fort to furnish books and registrars
at all booths.
"But, all the commission can do is
to appoint registrars: they can not
compel them to serve, said one
member of, the commission. "The law
allows only a very small compensa
ton for registrars and men do not
take eagerly to the proposition of
donating three days work to the
patriotic duty of holding a registra-
tion."
The voters generally seem alive to
the importance of registering before
ine books close. Failure OF the COM
mission to provide books and regis
trars will afford no excuse for the
voter to demand special registration
privileges, as, according to members
OF the commission. the law does not
contemplate that there will be any
insurmountable obstacle In the way
of registering in the regular way.
That the commission is making
some headway in it's efforts to i'm
prove matters is evidenced by the
fact that some of the booths which
were not open Monday, had books
and registrars on hand Tuesday. In
the second precinct of the Twentieth
ward, which was to have been held at
the Cox Paris Pharmacy Poplar ave-
nue. and Evergreen street, there were
no books Monday, but Tuesday the
booth opened in the offices of Drake
& Co, on Evergreen street, just
around the corner from the Cox Paris
Pharmacy. One lady was said to
have been in charge Of the regis
tration.
Kilpatrick's Drug store, at Missis-
sippi boulevard and Walker avenue,
reported that no books were there
Monday, but that Tuesday they were
in shape to register voters. Other
booths. the commission stated, would
be supplied as soon as men could
be secured to conduct the registra-
ton.
Mrs. ]. M. Mccormack, chairman
of the local Democratic women, re-
ported at noon Tuesday that she had
received complaints from many
women that they had sought to reg
lister and had been unable to do so
because no provision had been made
for registrars, or in some instances,
for places of registration.
"This is the first time the women
ever have had a chance to vote in
a state and national election. I don't
know what to make of this failure
to provide for registration 1t looks
to me as though there might be
something sinister IN it" Mrs. Nc
CormaCk declared.
Father Basil, of ST. Mary church,
complained to Steve M. Wright Tues
day that Ne had been unable to reg
L.. ut yrtyn of
in the First ward.
An employe Of the N, G. & st. L.
offices complained that there was
nothing doing" az the registration
booth at Barksdale and Central be-
tween and 80 O'Clock Monday
evening.
The tent in which registration is
supposed to be held in the Second
precinct, Seventh ward, Vance and
Cynthia, was closed at $50 Monday,
when voters attempted to register.
---szasssa-