Herald and tribune. [volume] (Jonesborough, Tenn.) 1869-current, 1895-03-06
What the memoranda" Show.

tlves" in those counties to be embraced
in the alleged investigation of frauds
at the November election, which was
published in full in Wednesday Times,
throw flood of light upon the purpos.
es and intentions of the rule or ruin
politicians as to the gubernatorial con.
troversy. These memoranda furnish
convincing proof that the details of this
whole miserable investigation fiasco
nave been cut and dried, the rules
governing it made to fit the Turney
contention and the law distorted to se-
cure evidence on one side and exclude
revelant testimony, where possible, on
the other. The politicians who are en-
glneering this outrage upon the people,
have overstepped themselves, and in
disclosing their high handed purposes
by the issuance OF these instructions,
they have emphasized what The Times
and 9th n Democaatic newspapers have
charged from the first, that at no time
was it intended by the returning board
crowd to permit anything like fairness,
honesty or justice to characterize the
inquiry they proposed to make into the
alleged election frauds. The procedure,
says one of these remarkable docu.
ments, for getting at the frauds claim
ed to have been perpetrated in Turney.
counties, should be somewhat differ
ent, from that adopted in Evans cuon
ties, and "be sure to except in all proof
OF alleged Democratic fraud and wrongs
perpetl ated at other elections and at
other times" but prove, if possible,
that bogus receipts of one kind or an
other were used by the Rebublicans in
the county; prove the district if you
can, and prove it either in the August
or the November election. 1t must be
understood from this that the com
mittee will admit no proof of Demo-
cratic fraud at any other time than the
November election, but that evidence
of Republican fraud may extend back
to August. Can such things be and
not call down the honest wrath of ev.
cry honest Tennessean upon the heads
of the perpetrators of such monstrous
proceeding?
Continuing the memoranda lays
bare the sole and only claim of Mr..
Turney that the election was illegal.
The proposition is asserted in the in.
stuctions to be used in Republican
counties, that "if you have shown that
the poll tax election laws were ignored,
and not observed at the polls Novem.
Der q, 1894, and to meet that proof the
Republicans attempt on cross exami.
nation or by their witnesses, to prove
that parties who failed to produce their
receipts or make affidavit, had actually
paid their poll tax, except, and do not
cross examine as to the fact as to when
or where, for the reason already given
namely, that it is irrelevant-for
even if it were proven that he had paid
he was not entitled to vote.n
What honest and fair minded man
can or will indorse SO palpable per.
version of the spirit letter of the law?
Even ian oath with unified hand"
says this memorandum, that the voter
had paid his poll tax, sis wholly in
sufficient; an affidavit must be made,
which stares the district and county in
which the voter lives, when he paid his
poll tax, to whom, for what year, and
that he took a receipt therefore, and
that 1T has been unintentionally lost or
mislaid; and it must be signed by the
voter and returned with the poll list by
the judges. No oath or affidavit that
falls short of this is good. Therefore,
you will prove all the defeats in aft
davits made by Republican voters that
you can"
Here we have the sole ground for the
contention of the Turney crowd. They
have vehemently published to the
world the most extravagant charges of
fraud, corruption and disregard of the
election laws against the people of
East Tennessee; they have disgraced
the State, traduced the fair name of its
people, assailed the integrity of election
officials and disregarded the plain and
unequiyocal declarations of the consti-
tution-on what justification? Not be-
cause the poll tax was not paid by the
voter, but because he did not exhibit
the receipt or file written affidavit
that it had been paid when he deposited
his ballot 1t matters not to the high
waymen if he says by a solemn oath
that he had complied with the law
making him legal voter-his vote
must be thrown out. There is probably
not county in the State where the
judges of election required either the
presentation of the receipt or the filing
of an affidavit when the voter was
known to have paid his tax; and yet
this junta of disappointed politicians
and their hired attorneys would dis
franchise the people of certain counties
because they did that which was uni
| varea II " proct;cad tb,o,rho,,. Al, -. c.1
and which has never before been called
in question. This admission on the
part of the Turney partisans that they
rest their case exclusively on so flimsy
a pretext will confirm all right think.
ing people in their convictions that Mr..
Evansi is being wrongfully excluded and
debarred from enjoying the honors the
people of the State conferred upon him