The comet. (Johnson City, Tenn.) 1884-1916, 1906-04-12
Cox and an Honest Election.


questions, put the following to HIM as
publicly as possible:
1t is a matter of public knowledge
that the election laws have been grossly
abused in this country. The provision
for securing true registration of vot-
ers is avoided by the failure of the reg
istrars to make affidavit to the registra-
ton lists. This evil could be cured by
making full affidavit.
1.-The poll tax law is made the instru,
ment of abuse and bribery. An easy
remedy would be to require poll taxes
to be paid two or three months in ad
vance and to make it crime to pay
any mans poll tag without his knowl-
edge and consent.
Ballot box stuffing aud false count.
ing could be prevented by making it
a crime to place the ballot box out of
sight of the public at all until the cleo
tion is closed and the votes all counted,
or for the election officers to refuse to
allow q reasonable number Of voters to
witness the counting by being where
they can see the ballots as called and
counted If the balance of the state
does not need or want such amend
ments, Knox county does. Would you,
if governor, favor such a local bill, and
sign the same for Knox county?"
This is a good question, isn't it? 1t
seeks the purity of the ballot, doesn't
it? Ought it to embarrass any candi-
date who is sincerely interested in be-
half of honest elections? Would such
candidate hesitate moment in thank
ing Senator Templeton for this splen-
did opportunity to assure the people of
his genuine and hearty Endorsement of
any and all methods leading to an hon.
est vote and fair count?
We think aud we believe the people
will agree with us that any candidate
who processes to favor the purity of the
ballot, but who sidesteps such ques
tion as this can, in reality, have but
little intention of putting his profession
into practice.
Let us look at this question closely.
1t is we'll worth consideration, for it
arrays the people against the machine
and Gov. Cox abandoned the people
aud sided with the worse feature of the
machine.
"Gov. Cox" says this question, "the
election machinery does not give the
people true registration. If there
should be law requiring the registrars
"a portion of the machine) to make aft
davit to the registration lists it would
tend to an honest registration of voters.
Will You approve of such law and there
by assist us in securing honesty at the
polls?"
I" l decline to answer" says the can
didate, who processes to favor the puri-
ty of the ballot.
Note that the affidavit asked for would
subject law breaking registrars of the
machine to a prosecution for perjury.
Again this question says
"Gov. Cox, the machine has habit
of paying poll taxes for voters without
their consent, thereby debauching them
and at times using the poll tax receipts
thus secured for the purpose of voting
individuals other than those in whose
names they are taken out, thereby de-
bauching the ballot. Will you help us
with law that will put an end to this
disreputable and dishonest practice?"
81 decline to answer" replies this
candidate, protesting love for pure
ballot.
Note again that the law asked for
would put poll tax payers up against q
criminal prosecution.
And, lastly, this wonderful question
says;
Governor, You know the devilmenI
that is done behind closed doors or
election DAYS. Now, will you approve
of law to keep the ballot box in the
open, that ballot robbing and dishones
counting may not exist?"
81 decline to answer, replies thii
picturesque devotee at the shrine of I'll
honest election.
Let the people judge for themselve
whether Gov Cox proves himself solic
itous Of the purity of the ballot or war!
less the manipulators of elections COM
to grief before criminal court or b.
put out of business altogether. Com
mercial-Appeal.