Grand Forks herald. [volume] (Grand Forks, N.D.) 1916-1955, 1921-10-27
ELECTION DAY CAMPAIGNING.

DAY CAMPAIGNING.
There could scarcely be better evidence Of the
hypocrisy Of William Lenke and those associated
with him in this campaign than is afforded by thu
publication of the instructions to League workers
issued by P. L. Aarhus OF the organization depart
nent Of the League, coupled with the ruling Of At.
torney General Lemke Or the election law relating
TO campaigning on election day. Mr.. Lernke's
statement that all campaigning on election day is
prohibited is entirely correct. He is borne out in
this by the law which is SO plainly stated that it is
practically incapable of misinterpretation, but while
Mr.. Lemke was issuing this statement for public
consumption, Mr.. Aarhus, an official of Mr.. Lemke's
organization, was issuing Instructions, to subordi.
mates directing them to prosecute their. campaign
for Frazier, Lemke and Hagan on election day and
right up to the voting booths. Evidently it is the
of these people that administration sup
porters are to do all the campaigning possible while
those opposed to them are to be, deba7cd from that
privilege.
The provisions Of the election law are plain. Nc
person is permitted on election day at any place tt
solicit votes for or against any candidate or issue
1t is to1be observed that the prohibition is not con.
fined to the voting premises or adjacent territory
it is unlawful when meeting a man on the street to
ask him to vote for or against any particular candi-
date OF any particular issue. 1t is unlawful to enter
his home and solicit a vote. The prohibitions are
50 plainly stated that all may understand them, and
all are expected to be governed by them. Il
1t is not unlawful to invite persons to go to the
polls and vote. The illegality consists in soliciting
votes to be cast in a particular way. The law does
rot contemplate the prohibition of invitations sim.
ply to go to the polls and vote.
1t is not unlawful to convey voters to the polls
IN vehicles. 1t is unlawful to hire vehicles for this
purpose or to make use of such vehicles for hire. In
the old days before this election law was enacted
the hiring of vehicles was universal where vehicles
were to be had for hire. The practice led to many
abuses, one of which was that the hiring of a hack
was very often merely a disguise for the practical
bribing of the owner Of the hack. It was considered
desirable that the entire practice be discontinued
and therefore it has been enacted that no vehicle
may be let out for hire for the purpose of convey;
ing the voters to the polls, and that no workers othei
than those officially employed shall be paid for any
services which they may perform on election day
This, however, does not interfere at all with thu
who wish to ride with him, provided that the ser
vice is performed without compensation from any
quarter.
Under the ruling from the office of the attorney
general, absent ballots are not to be used at this
election. The Herald has not been able to SEQ how
this ruling was justified Under the wording Of thu
law, but it has followed it, and we know OF, no case
in which absent ballots will be used. For this reason
. good many voters who are necessarily absent
from their homes on election day will be disfran
chised so far as this election is concerned.
In addition to the. opportunity which the alb
sent ballot law provides for casting OF votes by thos'
necessarily away from horne,tiit5h has often been sug
gested that provisions should be made for thos,
who are physically unable to leave their homes t.
60 to the polls. There are some such cases, and &C
casionally some hardship is experienced. The ad
visibility of changing the law 50 as to include al
these cases may be open>to question, as a provision
for the polling Of the votes of such persons NIGH
easily be abused and be made the means of corrup
practices such as would have followed the operation
of the absent voters law, which was rejected by tn
voters a year ago.
The election law contains many prohibitions
which apply to the activities of candidates, ETC., bu
SO far as the individual voter is concerned, he is in
terested chiefly in those provisions Of the Law
which restrict his own activities on election day
and for this reason every voter should bear in min<
the fact that campaigning in any form on election
day is not permissible, that it is lawful to invite per
sons to vote but not to vote for particular candidate!
or issues, that it is unlawful to hire vehicles, but no
unlawful to use vehicles for the gratuitous transpor
tation Of voters to the polls without the solicitation
Of their votes in any particular direction.