The Atlanta constitution. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1885-19??, 1894-11-12


creditable to Mr.. Cleveland as a party
man, and as democrat. The president
has left no room for his would-be apollo
giSts to stand ON. They will have to
accept as he stands, the exponent and
promoter of democratic disruption ana
dissolution, or they will have to cut
loose from him and stand for party
unity and party success.
Those who are alive to the dangers
that are threatening the party-the
whole brood of them the result of Mr.
tleveland's anti-democratic policy-will
NOT now be slow to credit the persistent
rumOrs that are floating about that the
purpose of the president. developed in
the very beginning of his adminstratio
has been to divide and destroy the
democratic party If he has really IN
dcrtaken Il contract of this sort he is
carrying it out with in energy that
allows nothing to stand i'm its way, and
fidelity that is blind in its devotion.
Uniform RegistratiOn---Fair Elections
1t is gratifying TO know that several
bills have already been introduced in
the general assembly looking TO the
enactment of Il general registration law
for the state. and also of a measure
which will reduce the possibility of
fraud at the ballot box to a minimum.
Probably no system can be devised
which will guarantee an absolutely fair
election and count. because there will
alwaysabe a few thugs i'm every com
munity who will he willing TO periure
themselves and risk the penitentiary for
Il few dollars. The way TO meet this
class is for the state to provide AIDE
quate punishment for every man guilty
of either fraudulent voting or counting
of returns. and when a few such have
been nut i'm stripes it will be found that
ballot box thievery will not increase in
popularity.
Georgia is the most progressive, the
most liberal and the most advanced of
any of the southern states. She cannot
afford to let il be said that there is a
state in the union whore the protection
of citizens life. his property or the
purity of the ballot is more certain than
i'm Georgia. Public sentiment demands
fair elections i'm Georgia, and it eX-
poets the general assembly now in scs-
sion 10 pass a non partisan, honest clec-
ton law which win permit every quail
fled voter to east his ballot. and none
others. ana which will guarantee I'm
honest count and a fair return of every
precinct vote in the state. The demo
Gratis have nothing to fear from such 4
measure. nor have the republicans or
the populists anything to gain or to
lose b. it. No party can stand against
fair elections, and public sentiment in
Georgia demands that not another el"c-
ton i'm this state shall take place under
the present inefficient and inadequate
laws by which he elections in the
state are now conducted.
The first step toward a pure ballot is
a uniform registration law, which will
provide: First. that a list Of the reg
istercd voters of every county shall be
made from the taXhOOlls by proper au-
lhoritics and under proper conditions.
Il reasonable time before every election,
second. that voters shall exercise the
right Of suffrage only in the precinct Of
their residence; thrd. that election man
ayers shall be governed entirely by the
registration lists in receiving ballots;
fourth. that the election manager. or
managers. receiving ballots or counting
them, except as provided by law, shall
he guilty of 4 miSdemeanor and pun
iShcd accordingly: fifth. That every man
who is gully of fraudulently voting, or
of abctting fraud at the ballot box. shaN
be liable to confinement in tie state
rcnitcutiary These conditions are rca-
Sonablc and they would 20 q long way
towards assuring an honest election and
q fair cnun;
1t is with much pleasure that we note
the interest of leading members of the
General assembly in this subject, and
Tie fact tlat several bills havC been in
trYducnd. seeking to correct eX.al.n" IT.
re.ularitics IN our election laws, gives
assurance that the legislature is in
earnest and thar the agitation VIII ma
terializc in satisfactory legislation.
The democratic members Of the gen
cral assembly now in session can leave
no better memorial of their WORK on the
statutes than hy the enactment Of an
election law which viii render invio-
liable the sanctity of the ballot in GOer-
c:3.
God grant that the legislature may
have The manhood Ia do It's duty. We
believe it has and that the people Will
bu entirely satisfied with its work.