The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1896-05-03
FAIR FOR BOTH FACTIONS.
The Citizens club on the Illegal
Registration.

Members OF the Citizens Club now have
a word 20 say with regard 10 the question
Of Illegal registration. They make the
statement that there are no more illegally
or improperly registered voters on one
side than on another
There We're some very eXtrayagant
claims made about 20 Illegally and frau
dulently registered voters, all supposed
10 be members Of our club said a well
known member Of the club yesterday,
"and large volume Of testimony was
presented 10 the grand jury Inc GluD
said not a word but cOurted the fullest
and most complete investigation. AFTER
the grand jury had gone through with a
good deal OF the work II nnally I0und
four indictments out Of the alleged 500
cases, and stated in its presentment that
there were probably some names on the
book improperly which had gone there
through the ignorance Of the law on the
part Of those registering
Il viii venture TO say that those four
men would never have been indicted II
they had been allowed 10 make their own
statements. I have personally inves tiga-
ted one Of the cases, and ind that there
VIII be no case whatever when the de-
tendants side Of il is heard.
The law with regard 10 registration
and liability for poll tax has been misin-
terpreted. As it was explained 70 the
grand jury, any man who lives in the
state Of Georgia for year is liable for
the poll tax of 81 This, however, IS not
the case. No man is liable for the poll
NaA M4tl ne comes mere rum dllDt4AEA
state until he makes this his legal resi-
dence, and this he mas 10 do by some act
which shows that he has taken up ms
residence here. A man may 1--we mere ten
years. and We, not be liable for poll tax,
so long as his legal residence is IN some
other state. ] know of several cases OF
this kind one Of which is gentleman
now living in Washington city, and who
has lived there for four years, but VINO IS
a legal resident of Savannah, and who
still pays his poll tax here.
a went
lister or to pay his poll tax here. how
ever, he would Of course become a legal
citizen of Georgia and his cltizensnlp
elsewhere would cease. i am certain tndt
any lawyer who has looked into the matter
will give the same opinion.
But looking at another feature OF the
case, we have evidence in about as many
cases against them as they claim TO nave
against US. / have in mind now some cases
which l know are in some instances more
fragrant, and apparently more 1raudulent
than any they have yet presented.
''The grand jury has recommended that
the proper authorities the registrars, take
the matter in hand and properly purge
the lists What will be the result2 Why
when the registrars come across man
whose name Is improperly there because
of the fact that all his taxes have not been
paid he will simply be notified of the fact,
the taxes will be paid and the name VIII
remain there. This will be done nrespec-
tive of the party or faction 10 when s9cn
an individual may belong. 50 FAR as oIher
classes of cases OF alleged Illegal registra-
ton are concerned, they are very few in
number and / am satisfied that we can
present as many against them as they can
against us II not more. SO after al y APP
pears to us that this question or Illegal
registration was a big blow gotten up for
the purpose of bringing in few votes,
which l will venture to predict Will not be
The question of the alleged illegal reg
istratiOn, of course, has two sides TO II.
That Of the Liberal Club people, who nave
been most instrumental in bringing the
matter to the attention of the grand jury,
has been given in detail, and this is the
position which is now taken by members
of the Citizens Club, who up 10 the pres
ent time have had little or nothing 70
say about the matter. The members or
the Citizens Club say they are ready and
willing to have the registrars go through
the books, and see that no name Is there
which should not legally be there. They
assert that they court the fullest inVestt-
cation of the books. and that they want
nothing but a fair and square white pri-
mary. The primary, after all, is pract-
cally the final election, and it is consid-
cred essential that this should be strict
ly fair and square TO all parties con-
cerned
The registration yesterday was rather
light, only nineteen names being added
to the list The total has been brought
up, however, to 4,7l2 and it is moving on
rapidly toward the 5000 mark
The Citizen Club does not believe much
in district meetings, and 1t is understood
will not hold many of them. The idea of
the leaders seems to be to hold workers
meetings, which keep the clans in good
fighting trim, and then to have general
meetings whenever they are considered
necessary. There will probably be sew
eral district meetings of the Liberal Club
this week, and it is said some new cam
paign thunder viii be brought into the
field. The Liberal Club makes these meet
ings quite interesting and they are usu-
al v OI1ifp largely attended