Herald and tribune. [volume] (Jonesborough, Tenn.) 1869-current, 1895-03-13
The Investigation HIppOdrome,

Can it be said that the constitutional
requirement has been complied with by
mere payment of the poll tax? The re-
quirement is not payment merely, but
production of satisfactory evidence of
payment of poll taxes to the Judges of
election, and without this production
of evidence the vote can not be received.
The evidence prescribed by law is
receipt, or, in the event of its loss,
duplicate or affidavit. Votes cast with
out production of this evidence of pay
ment of poll tax are no more entitled
to be counted than votes cast by mi
nors, women, aliens or non-residents
This is the plain mandate of the con-
stitution. The proposition does not
admit of argument. lis declaration
of law, a matter of fact, not of opinion.
Knoxville Tribune.
In order to get this monstrous propo.
stion clearly before us so that we may
more clearly make comparison, we
quote that portion of the fourth article
of the constitution bearing on the sub
ject.
Every male citizen of the age of 81
years, being a citizen of the United
States, and aresident of this State for
twelve months, and of the county
wherein he may offer his vote for six
months next preceding the day of the
election, shall be entitled to vote for
members of the General Assembly and
other officers of the county or district
in which he resides, and there shall be
no qualification attached to the right
of suffrage except that each voter shall
give TO the Judge of election when he
offers to vote, satisfactory evidence
that he has paid his poll tax assessed
against him for such preceding period
as the Legislature shall prescribe and
at such times as may be prescribed by
law, without which his vote shall not
be received"
We look in vain to find the presenta-
tation of the poll tax receipt or an affi-
davit is constitutional prerequisite to
o legal vote. We find that satisfactory
evidence" that the poll tax has been
paid must be given to the judges of
election before the voter is ntited to
register his ballot. What is satisfactory
evidence? The receipt or an affidavit
are of course satisfactory; so also
would personal knowledge be; so also
would the oath of the applicant be; SO
also would the oath of the Trustee who
received the tax be; so also would
number of other kinds of proof be sat
isfactory. The re quirement of the
constitution is, first, that the poll tax
shall be paid, and second, that the
judges of election shall satisfy them
selves that it has been pail; and that
the Tribune insults the intelligence
and common sense of its readers when
it says that a man although he has
paid his poll tax and the judges know
! it, yet if he do not present his receipt
he has no more rights in the State than
q heather Chinawoman who has only
been in the country twenty four hours.
Come up and acknowledge like man
that it is necessary to take this view of
the law in order to keep Turney in office
and to beat Clay Evans. People would
have more respect for you than they
have when they read such driveling
rubbish as the above, which neither
deceives nor convinces anybody;
= When this contest was first talked of,
the Turney press was filled with the
gravest charges of fraud, corruption,
failure to pay the poll tax, and various
! other heinous crimes against the right