The St. Mary banner. (Franklin, Parish of St. Mary, La.) 1889-1931, 1907-12-14
CM1c01 2te Refutati0n of
Deputy Cookies Allegations

essay that YOU show Entr poll tax re- !
c-ipts ior 1900 aud t"ol. otherwise.
vcu will tot be allowed IL vote
The citizen. whether he appeared At i
the front window "r sat III The real 4
room Of the sheriff : office. vas ae-
corded the same opportunity OF r.
ceising his duplicate poll tax recelptS. !
and none were debarred from voting
who We're entitled to the privilege.
The ,.eriis of the Young ". ). i. san
der>. sheriff. Suit.
Vember 2o. 1902, Immediately set down
This suit WAS fiied "Wednesday. No
for tr}al in the district court and de-
cided December .. 1907. The issu"
involved was the right of on" citlZfn
to pay the poll tax Of another ctt.-
zen, and was decided against the sher-
iff, appealed by him suspensiveh to
the Supreme Court and there decided
against him in June, 1903.
In the St Mary Banner Of bccefl-
Der Is. 1902, appears the following
letter from the sheriff. explaining his
position, demonstrating that. even
though i.e had taken his appeal s1is-
pensively, he did not intend that any
public Interest should suffer b. the
controversy:
"COnlmunitation.
.-I'ranklin. La. Dec II. 1902.
TO the Editor Of tho st. Mary Ban
ner:
Dear Sir--As aa nsidiuuS altemp,
is being made by certain persons and
interests to create in the minds OF
the people OF this parish An erroneous
and false impression a.; tn the atti-
tude of my office in the collection and
payment Of poll taxes, and AZ my al
a hoc -..tf, nfl flx- ~ n T..
emily misrepresented. have taken the
liberty of writing you this letter,
which / request that YOU publish in
our next issue. so that the people OF
his parish may get proper under
landing and true conception OF my
tand in this matter.
1.-The first question is one OF the
'aynlent OF poll taxes. Now. my pc
.'''t."o'-..'. .i.'. question is this: do
iot Oeiefe tnat any man or set of
men have the right to walk into my
tIfic- end ~, the poll tases Df Il
1unper OF cINzens. TO get their re-
tripts therefor and TO lock them up
and keep them from the owners there
OF. unit, they shall have determined
al the next eiet zion how the parties
whose receipts they hold are going to
vote. and then give them to the citizen
if he is going TO vote for them. and
to withhold them from the citizen if
he prefers to exercise his right and
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 l know of my own knowledge
that it has been done. and l feel GER
tain that what was done in the past
will be attempted in the future.
ain order TO prevent this I adopted
q 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.
have received and will continue 20
receive the money for pol! taxes from
any source offered. but have insisted.
and will continue to insist, that the cit
izen himself get his poll tax receipt
and if he does not apply for same in
person. and his poll tax is paid by
party. I will mail him his re-
ceipts. so that every citizen of the
Parish of St Mary. who either pays
his poll tax himself or has it paid by
someone else, will get actual possess
sion of his receipts direct from my or
flee and thereby be in a position to
know that his poll tax is paid. and
in a position TO cast free and un-
trammeled ballot
''Thi. Is the head and front OF my
IeIuiHS III liIto hfoteti, nhu 4 '>'A'
perfectly willing to leave it to the
great body Of the people Of this par
ish IS to whether or not my action
has been oppressive. vicious and
" rongful, or whether it is correct In
principle and good morals
The second question that has
a risen, and in which my actions have
been distorted and mfsrepresented. IS
the right of the citizen to make copies
of my books My position in this mat
ter is simply this: I am the sheriff
Of the Parish OF st. Mary, charged
With certain duties and responsibiii-
ties. I can not and viii 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
I do this, I could not be responsible
for either their safety or their accus
racy: but I have stated to private in
divTduals, and take this opportunity of
stating to the public, that. upon proper
I will cheerfnlly furnish.
AS far As the clerical force Of my OF,
flee will permit. copy or my roas
FAX books or any other records under
nv control and CUSTODY And II. az
this is NY busy season, my clerical
force is too busy to make out the
copies as may be requested, am per
fectly willing To put anyone 10 WORN
upnn these books and make copies.
provided. that the person suggested to
do this w"~l> is one aS--eaDie to my
.eIf. and by this I do not mean to say
HAT / will alone pick the man to
make the copy b'It anyone in whose
ability and honesty ] can rely will be
perfectly satisfactory to me III making
said copies.
can | be blamed for y fishing to
keep my books free from inaccuraries
and perfect in condition? This | could
not do unless | have the control "f
my books, and unless have at least
the satisfaction of feeling that they
are being COPIED and treated accu-
rateIv and fairly
sTo sum up. therefore, anyone IN
the parish who desires me 70 make
them this copy Will cheer1nllE nave
the same done if ii be "!thin the
toWer nf my clerical hf!p NnliSt al
tending t. theig other d-ucs u 10 -,