The leader. [volume] (Brookhaven, Miss.) 1895-1905, 1899-10-25

BILE.
In view of the very liberal exemp-
tions to capital invested in factories the
wonder is that millions do not come
here where the raw material is abund-
ant. and where abor is cheap and relic
BILE. These exemption laws should
have wider publicity than their appear
ance in the pamphlet acts.
Straight From the Shoulder.
The editor of this department is max
ing some inquiries as to the registered
and actual vote in the several counties,
the vote in the primaries and in the
general election. Observing that the
total registered vote of Marshall coun-
ty for 1899 is 2,3l3. and that the aggre-
gate highest vote cast for any one office
sheriff in the last primary, was only
Lois, we asked for an explanation, and
here it is, ample and explicit:
The difference of 1875 between the total
registered vote and the vote cast in the
Democratic primary election, is explained
in this way: The Democratic executive
committee of Marshall county, when they
passed upon the qualification of voters, al
lowed no one to vote who was not Dem
ocrat. and who was not qualified elector
in the general election to be held in Novem
Der. 1899. Democrats who had not paid all
taxes on or before the LIST of February,
1899, for the two preceding years, we're not
allowed to vote. And the committee also
stated in their regulations that if the man
ayers of election did not comply with their
order, that particular box, where the rule
was ignored, would be thrown out, and not
counted. / think all the counties should
have adopted the same kind of ruling.
Ii negroes, Republicans and persons who
will not pay their taxes are allowed to
vote in Democratic primaries, it will only
be a few years before the party is split
wide open, and we will find ourselves where
we were in 1875. | see trouble ahead if this
thing is not stopped, and as a member of
the State Democratic Committee | shall
use every effort to have the State COM
mittee in the next campaign lay down the
law for every county in the State as we
had it in Marshall. | introduced the fol-
lowing resolution in our last Democratic
county convention, which was adopted
unanimously:
The Democracy Of Marshall county in
delegate convention assembled, having con-
Quoted their own primary elections in COM
pliance with the provisions of the statute,
desire to place themselves on record as
condemning the methods understood to
have been pursued in various counties of
the State, through which, in the interest of
individual aspirants the votes of negroes,
and Others than Democrats have been &c
cepted and counted, thus defeating the
wishes of loyal adherents of the party, and
subyerting the objects designed to be at
tanned through an honest primary election.
We believe it to be the duty, and within
the power of the State Democratic executive
committee, to examine into and correct the
wrong, attempted to be accomplished
through the action of counties that have
countenanced these Irregularities, and call
upon the committee to call new primaries
i'll the counties known to have ignored the
law. Very truly yours,
GEORGE c. MYERS.
This is-the correct doctrine, and it
should be enforced not only for polit-
zeal but financial reasons. The letter
and spirit of the franchise clause of the
constitution is, that no one shall be
permitted to vote who has not paid his
taxes; and while criminal prosecution
for the non-payment of polltax is for
hidden, the publications now being
made in several newspapers of the
State show that there are thousands,
white as well as black, who are delin-
quent for polltax. and yet great num-
bers of them were permitted to vote IN
the late primaries on the simple state
ment that they were democrats ="
The result of the primary being con-
elusive as to the choice of the people,
no one should be permitted to vote
therein who is not qualified elector
The enforcement of the law, as ex-
pressed by the Democracy of Marshall,
will not only add thousands of dollars
to the school funds but will be more
satisfactory to the citizens, no matter
what may be their party affiliations,
who discharge their duty to the State
Legislative Biography.
The editor of this department is tabu-
lot .V.Fe l..