The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1896-09-15
CLOSE OF THE REGISTRATION.
BOOKS MUST BE CLOSED BY MID
NIGHT ON WEDNESDAY.

Tax Collectors Authorized by Law
to Close Them Mt 4 O'Clock If They
Desire. But Have the Right to
Hold Them Open Until Midnight.
Powers of Notarics Who Are EN-
OmciO Justices of the Peace.
Atlanta. Ga, Sept. I4-Tuesday and
Wednesday will he the last days allowed
for the registration Of voters who ex-
pect to cast their ballots in the approach
ing state election Under the new regis
tration law it is required that the regis
tration books be closed twenty days be-
fore the day Of election, in order that
ample time may be given the registrars
for purging the lists. There has been
considerable division of opinion through
out the state as to the exact construction
to be placed upon the term twenty days
before" the election day, and many ct
ters have been received at democratic
headquarters asking for information.
Some have taken the position that under
this phrase the day of election was to be
counted in. which would leave the last
day of registration, the 18th, next Thurs
day instead of next Wednesday, the
10th - ee
In order to avoid any complications that
might grow out of diversity Of opinion
and practice in this respect. Attorney
General Terrell was asked to make IN
investigation and give his construction
of the law This he did to-day, holding
that the day of election was not to be
taken into account, and that, therefore,
the registration books will have TO he
closed by midnight on Sept 16.
Attorney General Terrell says: Under
section 4 of the registration law. the spe-
cial period for registration for the Octo-
Der election commenced Aug Is and closes
Sept. l6. The law authorizes the tax coli
lector to close his books at 4 o'clock p.
m. but he may keep them open
until II o'clock midnight. 1t is, there
fore discretionary whether he will al
low voters to register after 4 o'clock. In
view of the doubt that has existed upon
this question. l think it would be proper
and right for the tax collectors throughout
the state to keep their books open till
midnight of the 18th instant.
on the same line the attorney general
has made another ruling or opinion. lie
mas held that notaries public who are ex-
Offcio justices of the peace are qualified
TO hold elections just the same as the reg
ularly elected justices of the peace. who
are designated in the act. These notaries
public have been acting as managers in
the past without their authority being
called into question, but this year the lines
of battle are drawn so strngently THAI
everything which bears the least shadow
of doubt is being called into question so
that there can be an authoritative con-
struction given, and thereby as many
causes of possible complication removed
as can be.
BY taking these precautions before the
election much trouble may be saved
afterward when there may be contests
based upon allegations of illegality in the
management or registration. The popu-
lists are already laying the foundation for
all sorts of allegations of unfairness and
fraud.
In addition to the thousands of circulars
that were sent out last week declaring
that Chairman Clay and the democratic
managers had refused to grant a division
of election managers, and this in the
face of the fact that Chairman Clay has
expressly requested the county commit
tees to give this division in counties
where the machinery is in democratic
control Chairman Cunningham of the
pOpulist state committee to-day declares
that the real purpose of Attorney Gem
eral Terrells opinion, holding notaries
public qualified to conduct elections is
to hog the game" The notaries public
who. are ex-ofiicio justices of the peace,
he says, are all democrats, because they
are either appointed by democratic judges
or by democratic grand juries, whereas
many of the justices elected by the peo-
pie are populists The design. he declares,
is to put the management of the polls
in the hands of these democratic nota-
uies, in precincts where the regular JUS
tee is populist and thereby run the
whole machine Chairman Clay and At
torney General Terrell repudiate the in
situations of the populist chairman. No
taries public have always served in con-
Quoting elections, just as the regular JUS
tees of the peace and they do not, there
fore, consider Chairman Cunningham's
effort to make capital out of the official
construction of the law worthy of notice.
RTAVE AT AUGTsTA