The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1896-09-24
REGISTRARS WORK SLOW.
THE BOARD TO HOLD DAY AND
NIGHT SESSIONS.

Tax Collector McGOvvan's Letter Elk
PersOns-SimulRrity of Names
Likely to Cause Embarrassmentt to
Many People.
The registrars have settled down to bus
mess now. and are steadily at work. So
far they have made very slow progress.
At 6 o'clock yesterday afternoon they
had only gotten into the D. of the First
district list. A night meeting was held,
however and this will be continued I'M
til the work is gotten into some shape.
Now that they have acquired the routine
the registrars hope to make rapid prog
ress in collaborating the names.
The following letter upon an interest
ing point was received by the registrars
yesterday from Tax Collector MCGOWAN:
Savannah, Ga, Sept. %, ISs6.-Messrs.
E. S. Elliott, r. M. Hitch and w. B.
Stubs, Registrars, Gentlemen: In jus
tice to all parties interested, l feel that 1
should inform you that the list of dis
qualified persons, even after careful re-
vision, are not free from some features
likely to cause trouble.
1 frequently found on the tax digest en-
tries Of poll tax for names precisely SINH
lar; and while one of these entries might
be paid, If did not feel quite certain that
there was only one such man, 1 had no
option but to report the unpaid entry on
the disqualified list. For instance, names
often appear in the poll list like those of
parties who paid their poll with the r
property taxes. have of course avoided
reporting such names, whenever satisfied
Of their identity. There were however,
many cases where no Identification was
possible from the name alone, and the
party claiming to have paid taxes would
have to show his receipts.
In other cases, where identity
is not questioned entries appear
on digest for taxes from which
the parties claim legal exemption,
being over and under age non-residents
etc. Wherever the facts were known
to me 1 have made notes of explanation
| in the disqualified list.
One instance will show what I mean.
The person registered as No. 6,521 Fourth
district, is to my own knowledge quite
young man, and, according 10 his sta e-
ment, was only liable to poll tax for four
years, since 1882 inclusive (Which have
been paid) Nevertheless, that name ap-
pears on the disqualified list for poll tax
executions from S5 to 80.
l would also state that the entries mark
ed paid or settled" on the disqualified
list have been satisfactorily disposed Of
either by the payment of the taxes or evil
dence that they were not due. Very re-
! spectfully James J. MCGOWAN,
T. c., C. c.
The publication of the letter was re-
qucsted by the registrars When some
good citizen is summoned before them to
explain how it is that his name or one
! just like it appears upon the list of con-
/ victed feions they want him to under
stand that they are only doing their duty
! and that it is his misfortune if he pos
| sesses the same name with a felon. This
! is not likely to happen in many cases,
! but it is likely that good many honestly
/ qualified voters may be called upon to ex-
/ plain how it is that similar names appear
! upon the list of disqualified voters and
requested to prove that they are not the
/ disqualified ones.