The Bolivar bulletin. [volume] (Bolivar, Hardeman County, Tenn.) 1865-1888, 1866-01-13

ue-tJJ 4COl5 l4SLe fFt-a an b16eLl9Ge DelU IN /
this city for seven aldermen, when and /
where strange things happened Gentlemen
who had lived IN this Corporation all their
lives who owned real and personal estate
in the same; who Lad paid taxes to support /
said Corporation for years, and more than.
al, hadzbeen- taxed since the war--wiitlll
whatf poll tar by said Corporation
were informed by the judges and officers
holding said election that they were not al /
lowed vote unless they teok BrownleW's |
test oath, and registered their folly More |
than this, said judges and officers Of said /
election informed registered voters that there /
were two men on some of the tickets who /
would not be allowed to hold their seats If
elected Now let US examine first the
foundation Of this tremendous power Of dis
franchising people by the authorities Of BoI-
war, and second, let as compare Bolivar and
its officers Of election with Brownlow and
his minions
On November29th ,E1847, Ethis city vas in
corporated, anda the duties, power, and priv
eleges fixed by its charter or act Of ncor-
poration. In Sec. Of said charter the quail
ifcations of voters under said charter are
defined as follows All persons living
within the bounds Of the town of Bolivar,
and all persons owning real estate. therein,
and who shall have been residents thereof
for six months previous to said election, and
all who are otherwise entitled to vote for
members to the General Assembly, and who
shall not at the time Of said election, be in
arrears to said Corporation for fines, for
FIXTURES, OF. otherwise, shah be entitled to
vote in said election"
Who are entitled to vote for members of
the General Assembly See Art 4, Section
!, of the Constitution of Tennessee in 1917;
Every free white man Of the age of d
years, being citizen of the United States
and a citizen of the County wherein he may
offer his vote six months next preceding
the day of election shall be entitled to vote
for members of the General Assembly.
Here then is a special charter granted by
the State of Tennessee in 1917 to the Cor
poration of Bolivar, which shall have per
petual succession, to repeal any, Of the pro
visions of which it requires a special act Of
the legislature Of Tennessee. The rights of
voters were fixed in 1917, and, as a conse-
quence, when we want to find who comes
under its provisions we must consult the
laws then in force to which the eye Of the
Legislature was directed Notice how par
ticular It's provisions are. Although man
may be entitled to vote for members of the
General Assembly, yet if he be in arrears
to said Corporation he is not allowed to
vote. To illustrate our meaning, take the
charter Of any railroad in this State. The
legislature declares that those who hold
stock in the road shall elect directors { or
aldermen.) Here IS a special charter dc
fning the rights Of voters and unless
there is a special act afterwards changing
the qualification of voters, no general law
viii affect them. Why2 Because it is "a
special act, granting special charter, with
certain special privileges under that charter,
so that all the authoritys.of said Board Of
Directors is drawn from the charter as it
passed, when it passed, and5-not from- any
general law passed since the grant so that
we conclude that the class of persons enti-
tied to vote in.1847 under the charter of
Bolivar are still entitled to do so even
though fifty general laws had been passed
since changing the qualifications of general
voters. Has there been any law passed
Withdrawing or amending the charter Of
Bolivar In 1865 and 1856, in 1857 and
1858, in 1859 and 1860, the limits of the
Corporation were extended or contracted,
but not one word changing the rights of
voters under the act of 1871 On.June 9TH
1860, Brownlow and his legislature enacted
that certain persons in this State should be
/ denied the elective franchise What is the
elective franchise which is controlled by
Tennessee? The Constitution defines It to
| be the right to vote for members of the
I General Assembly and other. civil Officers
! for the county or district in which the voter
resides" 1t does not say officers Of Cor
poration, but the district or, County. So
that even Brownlow's act does not warrant
last Saturday work Let us now look at
the fact that this. wonderful Corporation tax
es the property of people in its limits, and
does not allow them to vote. In the State
of Tennessee rs Ross, 18th Yerger's Reports, ut
is decided that the legislature cannot subject
a man to the burthen Of taxation without at
the same time allowing him representation.
Bat the Corporation Of Bozira3a can. Marx
that " To tax him without representation
would be practising the same despotic power
against which our ancestors so justly re
belled Taxation without representation
is tyranny" In Mari IS. Enloe, LIST Yer
gers Reports, the Supreme Court ofTennes-
see declares that Representation and tax
alton are of necessity in our Government
in5eparable, as they must b il every nee
Government" Is it not a pity Chief justice
Catron died before he could hear Of the Cor
poration of Bolivar Lastly let US consider
the poll tax the Corporation Of Bolivar levy
and collect of men whom thew refuse to al