Brownlow's Knoxville Whig. [volume] (Knoxville, Tenn.) 1866-1869, 1868-01-01
A Remarkable City Ordinance.

At meeting Of the City Council Of our city
held on tho 10th ult- an ordinance was passed, en-
titled Gan ordinance 10 prevent illegal voting,
which IN some respects, one at leas' is one Of the
most remarkable acts we have heard Of being enac.
ted by any corporate body, and one containing as
much bnnooflbe any document Of It's size We
have met with. Municipal elections held in Knox
vile, arc becoming important events bringing out
ne they have done for the second time the most i'm
portant opinions and important acts It will be
remembered, that just previous 70 the municipal
election held a year ago we had the famous opin-
ION Of four legal gentlemen, prOnoun cling the fran
chise law unconstitutional Now, we have the act
Of our city council, ignoring the existence Of a
State law. The first section Of the ordinance re.
torred 10 reads as follows
" BE Il ord med ~ the Mayor ead Aldermen Of
10 ~ cf4SgoreiIie, That at any election hereaf
Ter hold for corporation purposes, that II any per-
son or persons not living within tho limits Of the
corporation, and not owning any realty within the
same or otherwise not legally entitled TO vote in
said elections, under the laws Of the corporation
shall unlswfully vote or shall offer so 10 vote,
or vote under an assumed or delicious nRme wheth-
or qualified 30 vote not, shall, upon conviction,
be fined in each and every case not less than TWEEN
tyhve dollars nor more than fifty dollars, 70 be
covered for the of the city before the Recorder
Mayor or any CT the Aldermen, or any competent
Euthority, having Jurisdiction in the case and that
either case Il shall be The duty Of tho judges Of
lbe election 70 cause tho immediate arrest Of such
person or persons So offending This act is not TO
b. so construed as 10 prevent persons oi0aiag real
estate 'sithn he limits Of the Cooperation, and v
10 outside from voting N said elections
Thus is will be seen that being the owner Of real
~, m still considered necessary qualification, to
enable man 10 vote in corporation elections This
is what that portion Of The ordinance above, print
cd in italics mean II il means anything al ALL We
will Just say, for the benefit Of the gentlemen who
favored the passage Of this ordinance that upon the
petition Of large number Of the loyal men Of |
Knoxville and East Knoxville, the 3sth General 1
Assembly Of the State of Tennessee in the month /
Of March last passed an act, amending She char
ters Of Knoxville and East Knoxville, so as 10 al /
low all qualified voters residing within the oorpo-
rate limits 10 vote in municipal elections, whether
they own property or not. In n card from Charles
Morrow, published in our present issue the sec
tons Of the act referred TO appear in full. This |
was one Of the wsest and most patriotic acts of that
an everlasting monument TO the good sense and pa
triotism Of all concerned in its passage
II this ordinance is only intended for jlsleou,bs,
and II these gentlemen expect by it 10 deter weak
kneed men from going to the polls, by such official
threats At are therein contained we ssn tell them
they have failed most signally as they, themselves
will know, by waiting until o'clock, Saturday
evening
Ifthey expect 10 adhere TO the old law, recurring
mar to own property or 70 lease II by the wear.
bUfore heiS allowed 10 vote in this election. we can
assure them that the State law defining who arc vo
ters, viii be the criterisn by which judges Of this
election viii be governed, and that the State law
win certainly be enforced.
II is due TO several Of the Aldermen. 70 saw that
they dissvoW ever having had anything 10 do with
Tho passage Of the ordinance ss it !, published snd
say that when the subjec, was pending before the
Council, they snquired, if il in any way conaicted
with The State law, and were told tina, il dis no,
That portion Of the ordinance providing for the
punishment Of Illegal voters, we heartily endorse
and hope It may be enforced. The purity Of the
ballot-boI should be preserved at ell hazards but
The time hss passed, and we hope forever. when
men shall own property, before they arc qualified
voters.