Richmond daily register. (Richmond, Madison County, Ky.) 1917-1978, 1921-11-02
REGISTRATION BY
MAIL HELD LEGAL
By High Court and Democrats
Will Profit If Ill Return
Home To Cast Ballots

Madison county democrats who
are more or less 'flabbergastcd'
by the decision OF the Court ot
Appeals Tuesday knocking uu,
the absent voters law, got some
measure of comfort out of read
ing the full opinion OF the court
which appeared i'll the morning
papers. While the court held
that q voter had TO be present i'll
person to cast his vote, il also rul-
cd that a voter might register by
mail III cities where registration
before election is required. They
will then have 10 come back home
10 vote ON election day. This
part oi the ruling saves many
from making two trips home to
register and vote.
lna>much as the special regis
,ration by mail showed big dem
ocraic majority for Richmond.
this will help some i'll the event
that al who registered to vote III
the city return ON election day tu
vote.
The figures in the office Ol Conn
y Clerk Maupin show that POP
voters who claim Richmond a.
their home registered by mail to
vote here. OF these ~ were
democrats aud ; republicans. vi
of these who desire to vote must
now return home TO do 80. Ab-
sent voter ballots sent them or tC
voters from out OF the county are
null and void.
No ruling has vet been had a
tu disposition of the ballots which
have been sent out 10 absent vot
crs before the law was Knocked
ont tuesday. Attorney General
Dawson i expected to make Il
ruling this week OH this point. II
J. cNpcctcd. however. that Inc Will
rule that where the voter ap-
pears in person at his polling
place. the ballot which has been
sent him and returned by him.
will be handed by the clerk to de-
pu>it in the ballot box.
The ruling ui the Court OF Mp
pcals ON the absent voter law will
be OF interest at this time 1t
said:
The great world war was or
and thousands OF our boys were
at the front performing a patriot
l. a, well a. sacred duty for the
state and the nation aud II was
not only Thought wise but nothing
more simple than Justice that
these defenders OF the flag who
were forced 10 remain AT the
front in the defense OF Civiliza-
tiou. should have a voice in the
conduct of political affairs at
home. The trainers OF the con
>iitution and the people who vot-
cd to make il the supreme law oi
the Commonwealth in the year
1891. thirty wears ago. did not
dream Of a world war requiring
the sending OF soldiers to Eu-
rope, visualized the,ncedS OF th,
country in such peril not. thinking
uf the injustice which would re
~ult from dcpriving those who
stained the government ,.Oi {
right to participate i'll lis conduct
Had the constitutional couvcn-
tiun viSualizcd such emergency
no doubt the iron clad provision.
81 the constitution above noted
requiring 4 voter TO receive hi
ballot at the polls and there mari
and deposit it, would have bccI
modified or omitted altogcthc
from out fundamental laws. Their,
= now, however, no such call -
emergency as existed at the pas
SAGE OF the act or as would juSti
bv this court. If il were incline,
to do 50. III disregarding the plaii
literal meaning OF the constitu
;ional provision or i'll giving I,
the quoted section such construc
tiun as its trainers and the who'll
people did not intend to have.
Therefore. it follows that tn
absent voter law enacted i'll l9l'
must be held void for it mus
yield to the constitutional provis
: ion. Ii is to be regretted tina
80 convenient. useful and prope
legislation should be i'll conflic
- with our basic laws. The onl.
remedy is an amendment to tn
constitution which they can hav
If they wish allowing passage o
All absent voters law. Other state
having laws allowing voters L
participate i'll the election have n
such constitutional provision {
annul it.
AS the constitution does no
require one TO be at the polls I