Show ELECTIONS THE judges of election should be above partisanship when in IB the discharge of their official duties they ought not to be influenced by any ot of party considerations challenges are allowed at the polls polli under the tae law but this to is not designed for the vir purpose of election nor to encourage factious opposition when judges see that challenges are interposed by emissaries of one party for the purpose of hindering voters belonging to another they should set ast assist in the nefarious work buta but quickly decide the challenges on OB the evidence presented it was apparent to everybody present ent on monday when the callow youth who had bad registered certain ditt citizens and taken their oaths as to their qualifications challe challenged aged them as aliens because they belonged to the peoples party and ho be was a liberal I 1 fled geling that the ing g was nor not in rood good faith but bu t tor for the purpose of obstructing the election he ought to have been sat down upon instead of being encouraged cou raged any voter who honestly believes that a person attempting to vote is disqualified may challen challenge e the vote judges ourt ought to temide decide there and then after earing e b both jtb sides idea whether the tha challenge shall be sustained or not to every part ot the united states when a voter is challenged A to his bis citizenship his affidavit is as evide evidence n e if he commits perjury h he e can be punished tor for his cri crime me to compel citizens to so go to their homes and search for naturalization papers that may be mislaid millaid Is in many instances to deprive them of their right to vote particularly is this the case when the time for closing the polls is approaching approach ine there is no law jaw requiring a naturalized citizen to produce his certificate at the polls his name on the registry list is evidence of his citizenship he has taken and subscribed t to an oath to that effect it if it can be proven that he has sworn falsely fals elv he can be prosecuted under section 27 of the election laws the law provides the manner by which tube citizenship or other qualifications or voters may be tested it to is to be done before the senior j justice of the peace for the precinct where the voter resides objections in writing by a qualified voter must be heard beard up to the fifth day before the election and after h hearing arang both sides the justice must send to the I 1 judges of election a list of all persons found to be unqualified within three days prior to the election and the judges must strike such names os off the regi registry otry list the utah commission published a rule in al august 1883 that voters challenged in regard to naturalization if of foreign birth shall either produce their papers or prove that such papers have hake been issued and lost or destroyed of course this is not law it is not binding either upon the voters or the judges of election but it if shows that the commission recognized the right of the voter to make affidavit when unable to produce his bis naturalization papers on monday a well known citizen altizen who is a voter and a candidate for reelection election re t to 0 the office of Commiss commissioner loner to locate U university niver sity lands was challenged as to his naturalization and required to produce his papers his office and status were self evidences of his bis citizenship he went home and searched for the papers two hours without finding the city attorney went with him to the utah commissioners who after investigating the matter g gave e it as their opinion that he should be allowed to vote on his bis affidavit certifying to the facts he voted others should be allowed to do da the same under similar circumstance it would be well enough for naturalized citizens to have their certificates ready abr use when needed and to make a practice of taking them with them when they go to the polls on election days one citizen obtained a certificate from the clerk of the district court that he had been naturalized or perhaps would have lost his vote that is all giong suppose a man cannot remember the date of his bis naturalization or that a large number of persons have to apply for certificates or the clerk is not at hand band when needed or that the citizen was naturalized in another state or territory is any citizen under such circumstances th ft be prevented from voting when he IS id properly registered as a citizen duly qualified qualified ualifi ed Certai certainly uy not the law boes does not contemplate any such absurdity what are challenges to be allowed for then thell A nonresident non resident may personate a resident a citizen may have become disqualified after registration he may have been bribed or have W sit a bribe to a voter challenges for such cause would be proper but it Is evident that the law dy by providing the means for testing the ordinary qualifications ot of voters before the justices otaie of the peace did not contemplate such challenges as were interposed on monday for the purpose of obstructing the election and hindering lawful voters from casting their ballots when the judges of election see by the antics of abstractionists and the animus of parti partisans that electors are being hindered in the exercise of the suffrage they should not become parties to the offense lense of it is a misdemeanor under section 38 28 of the election laws lawn to interfere with any voter in the free exercise of the franchise and it is a felony for an election officer to neglect or fall fail to discharge any duty of his office these points should be well considered and understood by voters and aad especially by men of influence and stal standing iding among the people we should profit in future by the lessons ot of the put past and be prepared through experience peri ence for greater usefulness and more efficient service to the cause of lib erty and right |