The Caucasian. (Clinton, N.C.) 188?-1913, 1900-04-12

the State IL months and In the
county 80 DAYS! a. And has he
never at any time been ad1udgeo
guilty of an infamous crime:"
II these four questions are an
swered affirmatively, and under
oath, the applicant is entitled TO
registration. For since he Ia an
swering with the penalties OF both
perjury and fraudulent registration
before his eyes, the presumption 10
very strong that he answers truth
fully. And yet, II the Registrar
has good cause to believe that he
has answered falsely, he IL entitled
TO such additional proof as ought
to satisfy q reasonable mind. III,
however, he should 60 further than
this, and undertake to do many
things which are not commanded,
but are permitted, by this atrocious
Law-if in addition to the oath OF
the applicant, he should require
him to prove by not less than two
registered electors, his identity. his
age, the place Of his birth, and the
number or location OF his residence
every step which he shall take
In that direction will be the m
mission OF a crime.
BY keeping in view the few and
simple qualifications Of an elector,
as the same are prescribed In the
constitutional provision which /
have quoted, and by contrasting
these with the frightful array Of
those which are superadded by this
monstrous Election Law, the reader
will at once perceive the ears OF q
very lively jackass protruding
through the skin Of a very dead lion
He will also perceive that the long
and tiresome catalogue Of questions
with which this king OF terrors is
armed. is the merest buster and
bravado. AS such they ought not
to alarm any one. For many Of
these questions do not require az
f1rmative answers, and others Of
them are either frivolous or imper-
tinent, while all Of them should be
despised by every citizen who has
the courage to assert his rights,
and who understands that they are
not the gift OF any petty tyrant, or
Of any political party, but are con-
ferred by the organic law OF the
State.
And there Is no better iilastra-
ton Of this buster and bravado,
than the way in which this officious
Registrar is directed to deal with
those who fail to list their polls for
taxation. Into this business he Is
forced as a meddlesome intruder.
For this is the legitimate business
who, by the terms Of the Machinery
Act, is required between the first
day Of June and the first Monday
in July, to list all taxable polls In
his township, and make return to
the clerk Of the Board of County
Commissioner OF all delinquents,
each one Of whom, for failure to list
his poll, incurs the penalty of dou-
BILE tax, and is moreover guilty OF
misdemea uor This very work of the
list-taker therefore has already been
completed, before that of the Reg
istrar is to begin. And after this
work has been done once, and
sworn return of it made to the clerk
OF the Board Of County Commits
sioners. what sense or decency can
there be in having it done over
again, and then certified to the
clerk Of the Superior Court? Is a
naked certificate Of higher dignity
than a return under oath? Or is it
likely that responsible duty will
be more faithfully performed, when
entrusted to some political potwol-
Topper, than when left to that sworn
officer Of the law to whom 1t prop
erly belongs?
And since failure to list the poll
is already indictable under the gen
eral statute, what additional Sc
curity is there for the State, i'm
making 1t indictable under the
Election Law? And what is gained
by taking the confession of the de-
linquent under oath, when such a
confession is forbidden to be used
against him, when prosecuted for
delinquency? And why was this
this forbiddenf 1t is because to
make that use Of a confession, thus
obtained, would SAVIOR a little too
much of the rack and the thumb
screw for even the Democratic
party.
Why then, / repeat, were these
provisions, which are a part OF The
Machinery Act, incorporated into
this Election Law? Aud since votes
and taxes have, as yet, no sort OF
connection with each other, why and
wherefore should the Registrar OF a
voting precinct be burdened with
the duties Of an officer of the reve-
nuef The reason is plain. He Is
made a revenue spy, In order that
he may the more effectually do the
work Of political informer.
Ii 1t were not SO very revolving,
1t would be little amusing to see
the beggarly manner in which this
poll-tax is made to serve the two
fold purpose of the Democratic
party. 1t is, In any view Of 1t, hu.
initiating to think that SO small a
matter should be the principal
stock in trade of SO great a party.
For it Is to be worked with a kind
Of OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES and in
two opposite directions;and is there
by worked for all it is worth. Un-