The Bolivar bulletin. [volume] (Bolivar, Hardeman County, Tenn.) 1865-1888, 1866-03-17
The Late Election The Governors

The Late Election - The Governors
On yesterday morning the following gen.
tlemem, Magistrates electin Davidson county
applied 60 the Secretary of State for their
commissions preparatory to entering upon
the duties Of their Office NJ w Thompson,
for District number one J. X Spain, for
District number ten j. T. EllistOn for
District number ten, and J. G. Bailey, for
District number six Several other officers
elect applied for commissions also On
stating their cases to the Secretary no In
formed them that he had filed up and
signed some four or five Magistrate com
missions the day previous, but had just re-
ceiyed an order from Governor Brownlow
not to sign any more commissions for PER
sons elected at the Saturday election for the
present The Governors reason for taking
this step is, that he has received and is re-
ceiying abundant proof that there was a
general disregard and notification Of the
Franchise Law, and that the issuing Of GERS
tiicates of registration was done in Migrant
violation of the law Davidson county, for
example, in which several thousand persons
were disqualified by the Franchise Law, had
registered some 10 700 voters which was
VIGOROUSLY wrong and Illegal Williamson
county had registered some 2,4OO voters,
when 1t was equally notorious that there
were hardly one.ffth that many legal voters
there SO far as returns have been received,
10 was evident that the officers Of registra-
ton had issued certificates in a very loose
manner, and that the Franchise Law had
been treated with studied contempt Gov
ernor Brownlow holds that as the Franchise
Law is on the statute book and unrepealed,
it is his duty to see that it is faithfully exc
cuted Whatever his personal feelings may
be, he Is not permitted by the Constitution
% use any discretion in the matter He is
under oath to execute all the laws faithfully.
The Franchise Act Is 81 law Of the State,
and it is the law which must control and
regulate elections otherwise there can be
no election. An observance of all the re-
quirements Of the Franchise Law Is neces-
sary to constitute valid election. Clerks
have no more right to issue certificates
without proof, and to persons disfranchised
by law, than they have to issue certificates
to minors, women or unnaturalized for
eigners. The Governor has this interesting
question under consideration, and Is re
strained by conscientious motives from issu-
ing any commissions to judicial officers
elected ON Saturday last 1t may be re-
marked here that the Governor does not
give commissions to sheriHs, constables or
clerks, the County Court having control over
that class of officers he commissions judi
cial officers only.
columns of the Brownlow organ of the
State the Nashville Press and Times It is
very probable that the editor of the Press
and Times was unaware of the fact at the
time he wrote the article, that Gov. Brown
low had closed the registration Office in this
county weeks before the election came off,
or he would not thus convict the Governor
of the State Of Tennessee of being wilI'
full breaker of the law
Governor BrownIow holds that as the
franchise law is on the Statute Book, and
unrepealed it is his official duty to see tina
it is faithfully executed, so says the Press
and Times. Why, then, did he authorize
the registration clerk Of the County o
Hardeman to issue no more certificates
BY 50 doing did he not of his own act nullif
that law
He, (BroWnlow) is not per mitted by thu
Constitution to use any discretion in tn
matter" So says the Press and Times
Why then did he presume set that matter,
the law, aside in the County of Hardeman
lie (Brownlow) is under oath to exeeut,
all the laws faithfully" So says the Pres
and Times. Then why did he violate hi
oath and suspend the registration Of voter
under the law in the County Of Hardeman
The franchise act is law of the STATE
and it is the law which must control an
regulate elections, OTHERWISE TIER
CAN BE NO ELECTION 3" So says th
Press and Times. Just as true as gospe
Mr.. Rev. Parson Governor Brownlow ha
no right to interfere with the election
Hardeman county. 1t was his sole pre-
vince to see that the law was executed, an
not violated. We want the Press and Time
to publish this Will it do it for it lool
very much like w G. Brownlow had hin
self treated the franchise law with studio
contempt and we want the Press al
Times to show him the picture