The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1896-09-23
TO HEAR COMPLAINTS LATER
REGISTRARS TAKING UP THEIR
WORK By DISTRICTS.

The List of Registered Voters Com
pared with the List of DisGuali-
fed Voters and the List of Com
pIaints-In the Case of Complaint
the Voter Notified to Appear and
show Cause why His Name should
Not he Stricken From the List.
Liberal Club Leaders Not Pleased
With the Attorney Generals
Opinions.
The county registrars closed their hrst
days work last night The sitting began
in the grand jury room Of the superior
court and was concluded in the grand
jury room Of the city court, the transfer
being made on account of the plastering
now being done IN the eastern end Of the
court house.
There was nothing exciting In the first
days session. Long lists of names of
voters whose removal from the registra-
ton list on various grounds is asked, were
filed by the representatives of the two
factions The Liberal Club filed long
list from the First district and will file
its lists for the other districts later.
trouble to count up the number of COM
plants filed. They are not ready to take
them up yet, and viii not be for some
days. The representatives of the two
clubs instructed to furnish lists of the
parties complained of. giving name, age,
residence and other points Of identified
ton required by the registration law, and
stating evidences of disqualification, such
as affidayits as to non-payment of taxes,
non-residence, etc.
The registrars occupied their time
in taking up the list of registered
voters for the First district, and compar-
ing it with the list Of disqualified voters
furnished by the tax collector, and the list
of complaints. If a voters name was not
found upon any of the disqualified lists,
or If there was no complaint filed against
the voter, the name was placed on the APP
proved list Of registered voters. If there
was any complaint against him, or If the
name was found upon one Of the disqual-
flied lists II was placed upon doubtful
list. All the voters whose names are
placed upon this list will be notified to
appear before the board and show cause
why their names should not be removed
from the list of registered voters The
registrars estimate that the number of
names which will be placed upon the
doubtful list viii run up into the hundreds,
and may possibly reach 1000. In order to
get through with all this work 1t will be
necessary for the registrars to transact
business very expediuously, and they have
made up their minds to do so.
AS the act providing for county regis
trars only provides a compensation Of
50 per day each for the registrars the
three brilliant young attorneys who now
compose the board must serve largely
from a spirit of patriotism. The act pro-
vides, however, that the county commits
sioners may fix such compensation as they
see ft If the two political factions were
to bring their joint strength to bear upon
the county commissioners, they might So
cure such compensation for the regis
trars as would properly recompense them
for their services. These three gentlemen
will be required to give practically their
entire time to this work for the next two
weeks and 1t is more than probable that
the days will not afford sufficient time
for the work and that night sessions will
have to be held.
The Liberal club were not at all pleased
with the expression of opinion by Attor-
ney General Terrell upon points which it
will be necessary for the registrars to
decide upon, published in yesterdays
Morning News. They hold that it was not
the proper thing for the attorney general
TO do to give an unofficial opinion upon
such matters, and that the opinion being
unofficial, 1t is of no more value than that
of any other lawyer. They strongly OBJ
ject to his position as to the use of afiida-
Wits. and also as to the removal of dis
qualification after the voters name has
gone upon the registry book. If the latter
is allowed, a great many names will re-
main upon the books which it was ex-
pected 10 remove, owing TO the
fact that many against whom
charges have been presented have
already gone and paid the taxes which
they should have paid before registering
i mi
effect of this, the Liberal Club men say
is to put a premium on perjury.
The Liberal Club men have gone to a
great deal of trouble and some
expense to get up afidavits
for use as evidence against parties
charged with Illegal registration, and If
aafidavits are disallowed as evidence a
great deal of work will have been wasted.
Many of these affidavits are from tax
collectors Of surrounding counties, cert-
flying to the Indebtedness in their counties
of parties registered in Chatham.
How can these facts be brought out If
these affidavits are disallowed?' asked a
Liberal Club man. I'VE can't subpoena
all the tax collectors in the neighboring
counties 10 appear before the board of
registrars at Savannah. They are busy
with their own affairs just now.
The three members of the board are
all attorneys in good standing at the bar
and the board Is better qualified, / think,
10 pass on opinions of these matters than
Mr.. Terrell
Efforts were made yesterday to secure
the views OF the registrars on these and
other points. but they declined to express
themselves, saying that they had made
up their minds not to decide any OF these
points until II is necessary for them to do
so. When the registrars reach their de-
cision they may rest assured IL will not
be satisfactory to everybody and they are
likely to find their jobs rather thankless
ones.
rrusm ,,,c,Cr,v( -rr $1,000