Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1868-1875, 1869-05-07

with which fraud is committed |
under the franchise law, and the
fact that these frauds are commit
ted by Radicals. There was a con-
test in the sixth congressional dis
trict, in which Maury county is
situated, between two Radicals, Mr..
Arnell, the present member of
Congress from That district, and Mr..
Buck, the editor of the GAINESVILLE
Patriot. The latter charges that
q registrar favorable to him was
removed by Gov. Brownlow, and
one appointed who was ready to 90
the bidding of Mr.. Arnell and that
certificates were issued to every
man who would pledge himself to
vote for Arnell, whether be was
entitled to registration under the
franchise law or not, and the editor
of the Patriot pledges himself to
make good his charge by proof If
necessary, Now here are grave
accusations against registrars in
Maury county preferred by Gov.
Senter and the editor of the Clarks-
vile Patriot. The franchise law is
very explicit in such cases. The
thirteenth section of that act
provides chat every willful and
intentional violation of this act by
the commissioner of registration is
hereby declared to be a misde~
meanor, and upon conviction, he
shall be removed from Office and
shall pay fine Of not less than
fifty dollars TO the use of the State"
The registrars in Maury county
are openly charged with ''willfnl.
and intentional violation" of the
franchise law, yet they are per-
mitted to go "unwhipt of justice"
None but Radicals can commit
these violations, for mono but Rad
icals are appointed to these offices.
Here is the evidence of the cor
ruption that is practieed under this
law, and it is all done for the benefit
of Radicals. Gov. Senter has ale
ready declared null and void the
registration in four or five counties
on the assumed ground that "frauds
and irregularities have interviewed
in the registration of voters" Gov.
Brownlow set aside the registra-
ton of some fifteen or twenty coun-
ties for the same reason. Take the
declarations of Gov. Brownlow
and Gov. Senter, as promulgated
in their proclamations, and it must
be confessed that the franchise law
is the most fruitful source of fraud
and corruption ever enacted by a
Legislature in Tennessee. These
proclamations amount simply to a
confession, either that it is impossi-
bic to get Radicals to faithfully and
honestly execute the law, or that
the registrars are selected because
of plant disposition to aid their
party in this way. Gov. Senter has
so far removed no registrar of his
own appointing, or declared the
work of any of his appOintees null
and void. That much should be
said to his credit; but he will have
to appoint very different class of
men from those selected by Gov.
Brownlow, if he intends that every
man honestly entitled to registra-
ton shall have the benefit Of the
law. If he intends to break up the
corruption which has VIGOROUSLY
prevailed under the BrownlOw eX-
ecution of the franchise law, he will
have to make almost a clean
sweep of registrars in Middle
and West Tennessee at least, for it
is patent that nearly all these regis
trars have executed the law in the
interest of tho Radical party and
not in the spirit of justice. Here
is law that was enacted to deprive
two-thirds of the white citizens OF
the State, the men who pay nine
tenths Of the taxes necessary to
support the State government, from
exercising the elective franchise,
which has become the source Of .
fearful amount of fraud, not in the
interest Of the DISTINGUISHED, but in
that of the favored party. And how
pray are these gross frauds at
tempted to be remedied? Not by a
rigorous prosecution of the guilty, |
but simply by turning them out of |
Office and declaring their work of
null and void. Men |
who have secured certificates Of |
registration by faithful and honest |
compliance with the law, are sub
jected to the annoyance and
inconvenience of dancing attend
ance upon new commissioner |
Of registration because the old
one was guilty of frauds and
They are thus
punished for the misdeeds of a man
clothed in a little brief authority"
who used that authority to promote
he ends of some ambitious leader
n his own party. The guilty party
'etires upon his ill-gotten gains or
he consciousness that he has aided
political and personal friend to
l. |