Knoxville daily chronicle. [volume] (Knoxville, Tenn.) 1870-1882, 1873-02-08
HOW THE RING CARRIED THE LEXING.
TON ELECTION.
COIOrcd Voters Disfranchisei by Poll
Tax Trick.

| SOiOrfu SOteIS BlSIr0ucuiSet W HViA
| Tax Trick.
The late municipal election in LeXing-
ton, Kentucky, was carried by the Demo
Gratis, though with the colored vote the Re-
| publicans have large majority. The ring
in Lexington was bolder than our Knox
vile ring, hence they carried their point.
A correspondent of the Cincinnati COM
naerciol tells how it was done:
The trouble was all the time with the
colored vote. That vote, and the white
Republican vote made full two thousand
votes, while the Democrats could not mus
ter over twelve hundred at the furthest.
There was law requiring the City
Council to levy head tax in some sum
from one cent to one hundred and fifty
cents. But they neglected their duty and
didn't do it. Then there was a law requir-
ing every man to pay the head "taX assess
ed" before he could vote. AS no tax was
assessed, of course none was due, and none
being due, the payment of tax not as
sessed OF due could not be made a qualifi-
cation to vote. This was common sense,
and it is law.
But the colored voters desired to bc Oh
the safe side. They agreed to go and pay
their head taxes any how. Just here came
in some of Mat. Johnson's devilment.
When the colored voters applied, through
duly authorized agents, to the Collector to
pay the head tax in order to vote, he refus-
ed to receive it until all taxes were paid
prior to 1872. They then offered to pay all
their capitation taxes for 1S72-71-70, even
since they became voters, and he refused
to receive it. What more could they do?
Nothing.
1t is worthy of note that there were be-
;,,cr Tho (fOIIactnrtc ntffoa ro-
ceipts for taxes to white Democrats, who
never paid dollar for them, and on which
theyvOted.
1t is worthy of note that rs soon rs the
Collector became aware of the purpose of
the colored voters to pay their taxes, he
adopted office hours-including only five
hours-each day, and was remarkably slow
in searching the records to ascertain what
sum each applicant owed. To receive tho
taxes of sixteen or seventeen Colored voters,
he took half day.
Several cases have been reported to us by
reliable persons where the Collector gave
receipts to Democrats for capitation taxes
FOR 1872, when their taxes for prior years
were unpaid. Other cases realsO authen-
tic where he gave receipts to white per-
sons after office hours.
1t is also true that many of the cOlOred
voters were not assessed, and the Assessor
having the smallpox, the Mayor declined
to appoint a deputy or get one appointed
by the Council.
1t should be remembered, i'll explana
ton, that though the Council had never
levied a capitation tax for 1872, yet, with
out authority, the Clerk had put down such
tax, and the Assessor had collected it of
many persons, and demanded it of 9TH
ers.
This was not all the outrageous pro-
gramme. The Council directs list of the
"qualified voters" of the city to be supplied
to the judges, meaning only such as had
their names entered on the Collectors
books and this list was so supplied, and
was taken by the judges as the only cri-
terion of voters right to the franchise.
The clerk of the Council was in reality,
therefore, the sole judge, at the election of
the 3Oth, of the qualifications of voters,
For this there is nolaw.
All the Democratic judges were men
without property, evidently selected in
that way in order to prevent the bringing
of suits for damages. As they owned moth
ing, it was presumed that nothining could
be recovered.