Fitzgerald enterprise. (Fitzgerald, Ga.) 1895-1912, 1908-02-20
BAD RE talo Ia ] III
Necessitates Delay in Bond
Election.


bond election, called for Thursday,
February q, have reported to the
County Commissioners that the
registration books are in such con
diti0a that it will be impossible TO
have q fair and impartial election,
Gu that important question the
day set, next Thursday, February
he 9th.
Hundreds Of people, mostly in
the outside districts, would be dis
qualified if tn registrars prepared
ana made a legal report from the
books Us they now stand. The
County Commissioner, vi / today
call off the election as they arc un
willing 10 allow the question to 60
to the voter with registration that
will diSqnaIify many of the best
citizens Of the county.
The following report of the reg
istrars to the commissioners:
Georgia, Ben Hill County:
To: w. Il. BoWcl II. NJ. War
rem, and Wesley r. Walker, com.
miSsioncrs of Dads and revenues
of said county:
After carefully examining the
voters lists furnished us by the
tax collector and the voters books
before us as evidence; al.d at
ter carefully looking into the mat
ter Of a legal registration, we re-
alize that q large number Of tax
payers who ordinarily are entitled
to vote, would be disfianchiscd
under the present registration.
We fird that errors have been
made probably Internationally
by the tax collector himself, and
practically all of his deputies. In
| one district almost every voter
would be disfranchised under the
rcgistra ton as it now stands.
AS registrars our duty is clear
under the law. We are unwilling,
to make any but legal list. At
the same time we are not inclined
to STE our ncighbors disfranchiscd
when we realize that they had no
intention to disregardc the law, but
are victims Of bad practice.
They have not as rule, required
the voter to sign the voters book,
as it is distinctly set out in the
law.
We therefore recommend that you
give an opportunity for q legal
registration of the citizens Of the
county, who, thro 70 fault Of their
own, have been disfranchised or at
least could rot vote legally in the
election you have called for Feb.
III.
If for any reason you do not
cancel the call for the election
our duty is plain and VIC shall
follow the law in the preparation
of voters lists, and VIC will immcdi-
ately proceed to summons before
us the several hundred Illegally
registered voters to show cause
why their names should not be
stricken from the list, but we have
not gone to this great expense and
annoyance of the people OF the
county, for the obvious r':;son
that we believe they shoN!l be
"a we'd the :nLCSahCe, 81 q The
county the expense.
Your prompt action on this re
port is requested, as We have only
a limited time for preparing the
lists if the election is to be held.
Respectfully submitted,
II. d. Vaughn, J
w. G. B1oalhu'st, Regis'r is
J. Il. Merc'r,
Fitzgerald, Ga, Feb. 20, 1903.
The report was pre- entcd this
morning to the board OF c'mm.s,
sionels in session and they declared
their wish to do ex1ct instlcc to the
voters whose names had been listed,
but not written by the voters, as
the law rcQui c., and expressed
their urpose of calling the election
off and scttirg later date that
give full opportunity for a legal
registration.
List of Jurors drawn for Febu,
airy term Of the City Court Of Fitz-
gerald, Ga.
Chas. Myrick,
Z Husscy,
| 7 II. Cantr1lt.