The Morning Tulsa daily world. [volume] (Tulsa, Okla.) 1919-1927, 1920-10-19
REGISTRARS APT
TO GO HUNTING
No Law to Compel Them
to Remain on
Duty.
WHITEHURST RECALLED
Much Complaint That Regis
trars Can Not Be Found
10 Attend to Business.

b sp..i, '' '6e World.
Il OKLAHOMA CITY, oct. 1S.-Tho
n ,.o,est, from various sections OF the
II i,s,o 10 the state election board that
. any precinct registrars cannot bo
t i,und and that 1t has been impus-
n sbe for many to register. has not
& scsn an exception to the rule prior
~ an oklahoma election. although
,ba pr1'estauts are now considCr-
,hiv more aggressive than haa been
rue m times past.
Political circles In tho state Cap!-
,al have been more than usually
,gtatcl f1r the reason that several
rsporfs from outside counties have
h,e, made to the effect that the
rsnubr.lns who sought to register
oIgld ind no precinct rcRtstrar,
e. though some had diligently
sNght for such official in tho var
lous prcclnts.
The agitation came from widely
sensratcd sources-Wagoner, Mus
IN kogee and Cherokee counties being
III bNse most c.Ogtly connected. lE
SWagoner there was a report of the
II rsgistrat0rs all resignins and, OF
4 course. that would leave no ono
authorized to register those who are
moi already possessed OF certificates
NJ reslstration. This report was Of
dclaly denied .,m WAGNER ana
then through ,Ic state election
board
Secretary W. G. McAlister o: tho
state election board declared that
in the event that county election
board official resigned, one would
be Immediately appointed. This
4 does not apply 70 precinct registrars,
who are appointed by the county
secretary Of the hoatd.
It is natural that the republicans
are extraordinarily uneasy about the
n election registration for this yea.
because of past difficulties in got
ting their names on the books. and
En IS natural that the democratic
a xaders maintain hat thcre is no
Effort IN prevent all qualified voters
from registering. 1t is equally trua
n that In many localities tho registrars
ara holding to tho old ruling that
when a person was qualified voter
In June. 1916, and did no, register
d ne cannot have his name entered on
the registration books
That was once held to bo tho
n technical construction OF the law
and has not been uvcrruled. al
though r l.. Wood, assistant-attor-
n ney-general, promulgated an opin-
ion that while that was tho wording
Of tho law, II was not its intent and
that It would be against public
6rlcy TO so construe IT,
"A That opinion was handed down
N after women In various cities had
& failed 10 register for some local cleo
ton. Under strict Interpretation OF
n the statute, such women would
n never again be allowed to register.
In truth the law would prevent
q any male citizen who was q quail
fed voter In 1916 from ever again
4 registering after the first opportu-
nifty following womans enfran-
ehisement
There is no secret about tho law
b having been enacted to prevent the
negroes from voting. Democratic
81 registrars automatically registered
all Il those who had voted in 1914
and saw 20 it that democratic Vo-
tFs u l5k k6 were placed on tho
. registration books. At that time the
t's. charge vas made that regisi
n ua.f, site- having written in the
Names uf the democratic voters Nnf
Fl the ors-lnc., went fishing and never
II ai.oWed republicans or members of
Gther polJice! parties an opportu-
MY 70 register. Such charges have
teen repeated each time when reg
lsuation books were opened, and
,Aere is not the slightest attempt to
oeny that In numerous instances the
Arges We're absolutely correct; in
ar thcy have been boasted Of moro
ted
Capital city officialdom is pos
'uYe IN asserting that the major ~
ol complaints made against the reg
N'raiion officials find no cause for
SGch murmering, but that there have
Teen tlagrant violations OF the in
E'.hl OF the law is beyond posi- bility
W d'spGtc and even IN Oklahoma
Wy II Ia quite difficult for somo
cs'strars TO be located by those who
happen not TO be democrats.
"a novel;, prominent attorney
-nu oklahoma county registrar, de-
s!a'' ga sugR charges were next to i'm
pIoOab'e Tor the reason that a regis
I'' lu4id nave no way Of ascertain
me whether the proposed registrant
Jv,' democrat, republican or So
po"s! IN a city as large as tho state
,ApNal Tho chairman's statement
~ plausible, but when it Is remem-
vVIleG that the average, registrar has
4 TX G'mocratic list all made out the
G'F before the books are opened, It
~ e"SltF understood that tho one
.e'H,"s certificate does not belong
70 -hti political organiza ton. It is
i. Nso tTu" that the hunting season Is
\ oh 10 open and precinct registrars
business away from home.
~ t"e registration low admittedly
n worst IN the history Of the repub-
~ ~ uoes not specify that the registrar
n nus Keep his books at any one
ts,ahye, and II he goes hunting and
.s,S to return there Is no legal REM
s1y 30 flagrant have been past Of