The comet. (Johnson City, Tenn.) 1884-1916, 1895-01-10

lo"o PlOoCiipOJ LluoU pO 6lNOh' III thlp
decision Congress but followed the
law as previously laid down by the
courts of several States, Republican
as we'll as Democratic. 1t will be seen
that no new law is to be invoked
there is statute and it has already
been construed by Congress.
RECKLESS DISREGARD OF LAW.
The immunity which these people
have so long enjoyed has made them
reckless. The election in number OF
Republican counties was characterized
by various fragrant violations Of law,
namely: Anderson, Blount. Camp
bell, Carter, Claiborne, Cooke, Fen.
tress, Greene lin districts), Hamblen,
Hancock, Hawkins, Johnson, Morgan
(in districts), Rhea, Roane, Scott,
Unicoi, Union, Washington lin dis.
tricts), Hamilton lin districts), Car.
roll Gn dlstricts), Macon, DeKalb,
Cumberland, Pickett, Wayne Gin dis
tricte), Crockett Gin districts).
These violations are of the following
character:
Voting without paying poll tax.
Voting without being required to
give the legal evidence of the payment
of poll tax.
Issuing poll tax receipts to voters
without pay ment, and haying the re.
ceipts returned to the collecting officer
after the election.
Falsifying returns.
Using colored tickets, which the law
prohibits.
Having tax collectors to register
voters as gone" from county 80 as to
escape tax.
In fiue, it appears that no artifice
was neglected in these Republican
strongholds which would enable them
to vote without obeylng the law.
AS they could vote without paying,
and without producing the statutory
evidence OF payment, they voted.
This is exactly in accord with what
the evidence showed in the case oI
Thrasher vs. Enloe, already referred
to.
THE ENLoE-THRAsHRR CASE.
The singular fact was there devel
oped that in every district in Hardin
county which Mr.. Thrasher, Republi
can, carried, the poll tax law was
wholly disregarded, but in every dis
trict the Democrat, Mr., Enloe, carried
the law was observed. Information
which we believe to be reliable, indi
}. Gated that proper investigation will
!. show that Gov. Turney was reelected
n by several thousand votes. Now, un
{ der these circumstances, the question
q was "What shall be done?" The su
/. preme court of Tennessee long sine
declared that the legal votes OF tn
# people confer the title to an office
Al that the certificate does not confer tn
Is title; that such things are the mer
g indicia to the right-not the righ
re- itself.
t. Experience has demonstrated
,e says learned Judge, that under on
n system there will always be lepers t
IN foul the ballot box. Well directe
% popular denunciation can not stop il
i. constitutional provisions can not sto
n. it."
le In the case OF O'Neal VS.. Joy, fror
re Missouri, recently determined by Coz
b. gress, the menace to our institution
o, by election frauds was commente
Q. upon. 1t was there declared that {
In this time there was an epidemic
d. election frauds, and that the legisl
a ton recently enacted in various State
d. locking to the protection, the purit
i'd and the intelligence of the ballo
A marks distinctive era
Io- IN OUR LEGISLATIVE HISTORY.
IN
And it was there said: at is pla
that the imposition of fines on Office
Of election who violate the laws
M designedly or carelessly emitting
es. formaliies would not make syste
he such as this, effective. The Office