The St. Mary banner. (Franklin, Parish of St. Mary, La.) 1889-1931, 1902-12-13

vote against the man or set of men
who have obtained his receipts. 1t
is idle to say that this will not be
done, because know of my own
knowledge that it has been done,
and l feel certain that what has
been done in the past will be at
tempted in the future.
In order to prevent this, l adopt
ed a rule Of my Office that all
receipts issued for poll taxes
should either be given to the owner
thereof in person or mailed to him
at his address,. l have received
and will continue to receive the
money for poll taxes from any
source offered but l have insisted
and will continue to insist that
the citizen himself get his poll tax
receipt, and, if he does not apply
for same in person and if his poll
tax is paid by another party, will
mail him his receipts, 80 that every
citizen of the Parish of St. Mary
who either pays his poll tax him.
self or has it paid by some one
else, will get actual possession of
his receipt direct from my Office
and thereby be in a position to
know that his poll tax is paid and
in a position to cast free and UNI
trammelled ballot.
This is the head and front of my
offending in this matter, and, l
am perfectly willing to leave it to
the great body of the people of
this Parish as to whether or not
my actions has been oppressive,
vicious and wrongful, or whether
it is correct in principle and in
good morals.
The second question that has
arisen and in which my actions
have been distorted and misrepre-
sented is the right of the citizen to
make copies Of my books. My
position in this matter is simply
this: l am the sheriff of the Par
ish of st. Mary charged with GER
tain duties and responsibilities; l
cannot and will not turn the books
of my Office over to any man or
set of men for them to do with
said books as they see fit. Should
| do this, could not be RESPONSE
BILE for either their safety or in
their accuracy, but I have stated
to private individuals and take
this opportunity of stating to the
public, that upon proper applica-
ton, will cheerfully furnish, as
far as the clerical force of my
office will permit, a copy of my
poll tax books, or any other rec
ords under my control and GUS
tody. And if, as this is my busy
season, my clerical force is too
busy to make out the copies as
may be requested, am perfectly
to put any one to work
upon these books and to make
copies, provided that the person
to do this work is one
agreeable to myself, and by this
do not mean to say that will
alone pick the man to make the
copy, but any one in whose abil-
ty and honesty 1 can rely, will be
perfectly satisfactory to me in
said copies.
Can l be blamed for wishing to
Keep my books free from mac
,uracies and perfect in condition.?
This could not do, unless l have
he control of my books and UNI
ess l have at least the satisfaction
If feeling that they are being
copied and treated accurately and
airly.
To sum up therefore, any one in
he Parish who desires me to make
hem this copy will cheerfully
ave the same done, if it be within
he power of my clerical help,
whilst attending to their other
luties to do so, and, if my help is
90 crowded to do this work, we
an certainly agree on some man
vho will do it. Some man in
vhom the party applying has
onfidence; some man in whom /
ave confidence. 4,
Respectfully yours. .
JNO. B. SANDERS, Sheriff. b.