The Columbia herald. [volume] (Columbia, Tenn.) 18??-1935, 1897-01-15
GOV. TURNEY'S MESSAGE
Is an Able Document Full of Good
Suggestions.
He Recommends that Election BrIbers be
Sent to the Penitentiary. Gold Con-
tracts Should be Prohibited.

Wv ihOl CNol ulhOJ ll6SSdSt
to the Legislature, though worthy
all the space it occupies in the daily
papers, is much too long for the col
umns of weekly, where of necessity
the news must be condensed. We
are compelled therefore to content
ourselves with the following ex-
tracts:
To the Senate and House OF Representa-
tives, Fiftieth General Assembly.
In obedience to time-honored Gus
tom | briefly call attention to some
questions occurring to me as important
and deserving your consideration.
The Election Laws.
The election in November last, il
lustrated the wisdom of the so-called
Australian ballot system. Hitherto it
had not been understood that coercion
on the part of those who employ work
ingmen, was dangerous menace to the
freedom of the ballot but it is now de-
monstrated that it is.
A system which absolutely preserves
the secrecy of the ballot, and requires
reasonable degree of prudence and in
telligence in order to vote, is the system
most to be desired. When secrecy is
sacredly preserved coercion will be
bailled. When it is impossible for the
bribe-giver to know whether the bribe-
taker has kept faith, if bribery does
not cease, its activity will certainly be
reduced. And when the ballots are so
framed that illiterate and thriftless
classes are not able to follow leaders
by the use of marks and devices, the
electorate Will be freer from fraudulent
practice.
The requirement that the prepayment
of the poll tax should be qualification
of the voter, under ordinary circum-
stances, is wholesome and beneficent in
its results. The contestin 1895, among
other things, admonished the voters
that this tax must be paid, and as a con-
sequence the school fund for 1897 has
been sensibly and generously increased.
But while this is true, another thing,
wholly unexpected was revealed by
the election in November last. The
fact was notorious that non-residents
of Tennessee sent large sums of money
to this State to be used, among other
purposes, to pay the poll taxes of per-
sons, many of whom have hitherto
been unwilling to pay for themselves,
as the price of their votes. AS conse-
ticipated that foreign wealth will sup
ply money in large sums whenever it Is
to its interest, in future elections, to
qualify thriftless voters, in order to
reverse the course of elections in Ten
nessee, If this could be practiced with
success it might be argued with more
plauSibility but without sufficient rea-
son that it would be well to repeal the
poll tax law, but inaSmuch as such re-
peal would be so hurtful to our public
schools (for white and blacks alike) and
inasmuch as it appears that the practice
can be overcome by vigilance and care
on the part of the people, and as the
tax can never exceed two dollars, and
is by the Constitution appropriated to
educational purposes and cannot be di-
verted to other purposes, and inasmuch
as the man who is unwilling to pay such
tax for the child or children, is not
worthy of the privilege of voting, and
as public schools must be sustained,
and repeal would increase the burdens
of the honest taxpayer to that extent,
submit that the law should be retained
but that certain guards should be i'm
posed. | therefore suggest that our
election laws be so amended as % to
prevent the payment of poll taxes by
others than voters themselves, and
making it a penal offense in others to
pay for them. The law as it is only re-
quires payment, "as condition prece-
dent to the exercise of voting" OF the
poll tax for the year preceding the elec.
tiOn. AS result such tax is by many
voters paid only every other, or politi-
cal year. This should be so amended
as to require payment for all years (for
at least twO) before election as a cOndi-
ton precedent to the exercise of the
elective franchise.
also suggest that the registration
and official ballot system that prevails
in the large counties be extended to all
the counties in the State.
Electors are becoming intimidated by
the practice of coercion, and the public
mind is becoming debauched by the use
of money as "boodle" in elections. If
possible these things should be stopped.
Nothing can be more dangerous to the
safety of republican institutions than
fraud and bribery in elections. Against
these no law can be too severe.
recommend the passage of laws
making it felony, punishable by con-
finement i'm the penitentiary, for any
person to directly or indirectly buy or
sell vote, or by the use of money or
property of any kind, induce "r attempt
to induce an elector to cast his vote for
any candidate or proposition before the
people requiring the exercise of the
elective franchise.
The issuance of any bogus poll tax
receipt should he felony.
Gold Contracts.
Notwithstanding the result of the
late election in the United States, | am
profoundly impressed with the opinion
! that the gold standard will prove dis
tressing blight.
1t is apparent that those who insist
! upon the gold standard are not unmind-
| ful OF the numbers and strength of the
minority who now oppose them, and
| that some, out of excessive caution, and
others, i'm order to intrench against the
result which those who believe in the
money of the Constitution will surely
make in 1900 will henceforward in con-
! tracts of magnitude and particularly
where mortgages are to be given, re-
quire the debtor to execute obligations
payable in gold coin of the present
weight and tineness; and thus silently
but surely hedge all who may borrow
securely about. This should not be al
! lowed, and to prevent it l suggest that
no obligation hereafter executed or re-
! newed in Tennessee, so payable, be en-
| forceable in the courts of this State
and that all such be declared illegal
and void as to the gold stipulation. That
| the Judgment or decree on such obliga'
tions, when for plaintiff or complain.
ant shall be for dollars and cents and
NAV be discharged in any legal tender
currency at the option OF the defendant
and to prevent evasion by executing
the obligations IN other States | suggest