The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1893-10-29
Questions fOr Chatham's Representa-

d
tives.
According to cur Atlanta dispatches,
Chatham's representatives are making
some rather curious statements in behalf
of their bill to take the registration in
/ this county out of the hands of the county
( commissioners and place il in the hands
Of the ordinary They are reported as
saying that "a county commissioners
clique spent s17 600 TO keep the registra-
ton lists in their power at the last cleo
ton. As this seems.to them to be pow
/ erful argument in support of their bill,
the people would like to know who COM
pose the clique to which they refer VIII
they be kind enough to answer? They
seem to be so anxious to furnish the public
with information that they ought not to
hesitate in answering this question. The
public would like 10 know the names Of
those who are so DESTROYS Of controlling
the registration as to pay Sl7 600 for the
privilege.
And there IS another question in this
connection that the people would like 10
have answered. 1t is this: Did the
Chatham representatives know immedi-
ately after the last election that "a county
commissioners clique" spent Sl7 600 to
control the registration If so, why did
they not, as good citizens, make their in
formation public, and endeavor to have
rightcd what now seems to them to have
been a great wrong? Why did they keep
their knowledge of this outrage upon the
rights Of the people of Chatham county
bottled up in their inner consciousness
Why did they not hasten before
the grand jury and endeavor to have the
wrong-doers brought to justicel Why
did they wait so long before giving vent
to their virtuous indignation2 As matter
of fact, are they quite sure that as much
as II cents was paid by "a
county commissioners clique to
control the registration? There
could hardly have been "a county com
missioners clique" without the county
commissioners, and we are quite sure that
each and every county commissioner who
was in Office at the last election is willing
to submit to an investigation on the
charge which the Chatham representa-
tives make.
But what does the charge amount to as
an argument in support of their reglstra-
ton bill2 None of the county commits
sioners who were in Office at the last cleo
ton are in Office now. The present com
missioners were recently elected by the
people, and under the law they have full
control of the registration Do Chat
hams representatives mean to say that
"a county commissioners clique still ex-
lists? If so, on what do they base their
charged And if not, on what ground do
they ask to have the registration taken
from the control of the commissioners
The present commissioners have as vet
had nothing to do with any registra ton.
Have Chatham's representatives informa-
ton that the commissioners intend to
manipulate the registration in the interest
of clique! They can not very well avoid
answering this question, in view Of the
arguments they have advanced in support
of their bill. and they must answer it, or
be content to occupy the position of doing
the commissioners an injustice.
But what must seem strange to the
people is the position taken by Chathams
Representatives that five county commits
sioners, chosen by the people, who serve
without pay are more likely to manipu-
late the registration in the interest of a
clique than the ordinary. What reason
have they for thinking that the county
commissioners will not fairly and vigil
lantly protect the interests of the
people2 VIII they onlighten the people
on this point? They ought to be willing
to do so in view of the fact that they ex-
pect the people to favor their bill taking
the registration out of the hands of the
commissioners. They can hardly expect
the people to follow them in virtually
condcmning the commissioners without
good reasons. What are the reasons?
Let us have them without unnecessary
delay.
To an unbiased mind it would seem
that the movement TO take the registra-
ton out of the control of five officials of
unquestioned integrity and placing it in
the control of another Official is for the
purpose of putting the registration in the
control of clique, that wants to control
for purposes of its own. rather than Ia
king it out of the control of clique, and
the people of this country will likely view
the matter about the same way when
they give it careful consideration.