Knoxville weekly chronicle. [volume] (Knoxville, Tenn.) 1870-1875, 1873-02-12
now THE RING CARRIED THE LEXING.
TON ELECTION.
COIOrcd Voters DISTINGUISHED by u FOIL
Tax Trick

Tax Trick.
The late municipal election in Lexing-
ton, Kentucky, was carried 10y the Demo
Gratis, though with the colored vote the Re.
publicans have large majority. The ring
in Lexington was holder than our Knox
Vile ring, hence they carried their point.
\ correspondent of the Cincinnati COM
mcrci0l 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 10 one hundred and fifty
cents. But they neglected their duty and
didn't do ii. Then there was a law requir-
ing every man to pay the head "taX assess
cd' before he could vote. As no tax was
assessed, of course none was due, and none
being due, the payment of a tax not as
sessed or due could not be made u qualiti-
cation to vote. This was common sense.
and IL is law.
But the colored voters desired to be on
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 refJls-
ed to receive it until all taxes were paid
! prior TO 1872. They then offered to pay all
their capitation taxes for lS727l-7O, even
since they became voters, and he refused
to receiveit What more could they do a.?
! Nothing.
1t is worthy of note that there were be-
ing sent out from the Collectors Office re-
ceipts for taxes TO white Democrats, who
III Il, Z,
they voted
1t is worthy of note that rs soon a. 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 th5
! taxes of sixteen or seventeen COlored voters
he took half day.
Several cases have been reported to us 10y
reliable persons where the Collector gave
receipts to Democrats for capitation taxes
for 1872, when their taxes for prior years
were unpaid. Other cases arealso authen
tic where he gave receipts to white per
sons after office hours.
1t is also true that many OF the colOreC
voters were not assessed, and the Assessor
having the small poX, the Mayor declined
to appoint deputy or get one appointed
by th l:t
, 1t - remembered, i'm eXplana
ton, ugh the Council had neve
levied n capitation tax for 1872, yet, with
, out authority, the Clerk had put down sucl
, tax, and the Assessor had collected it o
many persons, and demanded it of 9th
ers.
) This was not all the outrageous pre-
gramme. The Council directs q list of tn
$ qualified voters of the city to be supple
e to the judges, meaning only such as ha
G their names entered on the Collector
1 books and this list was so supplied, an
was taken by the judges rs the only err
e terion of Il voters right to the franchise
e The clerk of the Council was in reality
e therefore, the sole judge, at the election G
3 the 3Oth, of the qualifications of voter,
: For this there is no law.
t All the Democratic judges were me
without property, evidently selected j
$ that way in order to prevent the bringin
e of suits for damages. As they owned moth
e ing, it was presumed that nothining coul
, be recovered