The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1896-10-10
THE REGISTRARS RESIGN.
THE WORK INTERPRETERS WITH
THEIR PERSONAL AFFAIRS.

THEIR PEhsONAL AT AihSs
Their Letter Left with the Clerk of
the superior COurt-The EFFICIENCY
Which brought About Their APP
pointment Has Passed and They
Want to BE ReIieVed-Registra-
ton Necessary for the National
and Congregational ElcctiOns-OnIy
Three Days Left for Those Not
Registered to Get Their Names on
the Books.
The three registrars VINO were appoint
cd by Judge Falligant to prepare the reg
stration lists for the recent election, have
rendered their designations and have
made the request that they be relieved of
the duties of that office.
When the registrars accepted the offices
1t was al time when political enthusiasm
was at its hight, and as their appoin-
ment seemed to be a matter for the public
| good they accepted gladly, and undertook
the hard and exacting task that was be-
fore them.
The report that they intended to resign
became known yesterday morning. A
representative of the Morning News
sought them out and finally found the
three of them. Messrs. W. b. stubbs Ed
ward S. Elliott and Robert NJ. Hitch, to-
gether preparing the letter which later in
the afternoon they filed with Clerk j. K
! p. Carr of the superior court for Judge
Falligant The letter reads as follows:
! Oct. 9, 1S96.--Hon. Robert Falligant,
Judge of the Superior Court of Chatham
! County, Sir: AS the exigency which
| seemed to make advisable our appoint
ment as registrars of this county is now
happily passed, we beg to tender our res
! ignation of the duties pertaining to that
| office.
The position was accepted from a sense
of that public duty which every citizen
owes to his government and that duty
! having now been discharged to the best
| of our ability, our private affairs will not
| allow our time to be longer engrossed
| with the arduous labors incident to that
! Office. Very respectfully, Edward s. FL
| lott Robert NJ. Hitch, w. b. Stubbs.
| 1.-The trouble Is" one of the registrars
| said when asked about the matter, that
we have all had to leave our offices and
we cannot afford to do it. The compen-
| sation is only 81 a day, which by no means
pays us for the loss resultant upon the
neglect of our business affairs. The ex-
element incident to the election is all over
now, and l don't know that there Is any
| special reason why we should remain. We
| have bundled up all of the registration
! papers and documents together and turn
! ed them over to Capt MCGOWAN"
AS the next election is that for presiden-
| tial electors and congressman it has been
| suggested that ii would perhaps be ad-
visable to give the republicans, populists
and democrats representation on the
| board of registrars, as all of them have
candidates in the field. The factional
| fight in Chatham county will hardly enter
into the national or the congressional
election as that will be one battle in which
the entire democracy will be united. If
| the registrars appointed, however, are to
remain in office indefinitely, of course, each
of the two factions will demand represen-
| tation.
The registration preliminary to the ma
tional and congressional elections is still
in progress. Those who have registered
during the present year at the office of
the tax collector will not, of course, be
required to register again. But none of
those who are not registered will be al
lowed a vote either for congressman or
presidential electors.
| Those who have not yet registered, and
who desire a vote for presidential elect
ors or for congressman have only three
more days in which to get their names
upon the books The corrected registra-
ton lists for the state election contained
in round numbers $500 names. Since the
registration books closed for that election
there have been only ten names added
to the list and it is not likely that there
win be many more, as it is thought pretty
near the fun vote of the county was reg
istered for the state and county cleo
tions.
There has been a belief in many quar-
tiers that registration was not necessary
IN elections for presidential electors and
congressman, but it is an erroneous one
| Registration for these elections was not
necessary prior to the passage of the gem
eral state registration law, as there was
a wide variance in registration laws IN
those counties which had them, and the
United States courts decided that on ac-
count of the irregularity none of the To-
cal registration laws should apply i'm these
elections. When a general law was pass
ed, however, applying to every citizen
! irrespective of color, race or previous
condition of servitude. it removed that
difficulty, and registration is now neces-
sary in all elections.
The general law. however only requires
a citizen to register once in a calendar
year, after which he is entitled to vote
in all elections during that year. After
Tuesday Oct, 10, the books are again to
be turned over to the registrars for re-
| vision prior TO the nauonal ana congress
sional elections.
Unless Judge Falligant returns to the
city in time to appoint other registrars
for this work, the present registrars, who
have handed in their resignation, will
probably have to look after it. The lists
however, have been gone over quite thor
oughly, and it is not likely that there will
be very much work necessary to prepare
the lists for the November elections. The
duty is one, however, of which the pres
ent registrars desire to be relieved, If
they can possibly have their successors
appointed i'm time to do the work
THE WHITES WON 1T.