The comet. (Johnson City, Tenn.) 1884-1916, 1909-03-11

Fayette, it is also wrong for Shelby, for
under the federal census of 1900 Shelby
county had population of 158,557, of
which 6S,754 were whites and S4,775
were negroes.
From the standpoint of democrat
and southern man, know of no great
er calamity that could befall the white
people of Haywood and Fayette cOun-
ties than to be threatened with negro
domination, and ] would avert it as
curse to both the races.
From the same standpoint, and for
the same reason, would avert the ca
lamity from Shelby county, and from
every other part of the state, and ! be-
lieve the people of Haywood and Fay
ette are not willing to receive benefit
they are not willing for Others to enjoy.
But in the exclusive exemptions in
tended for Haywood and Fayette,
some other unexpected results have
followed.
According to the federal census of
1900, there are other COUNTIES which fall
between the figures of population under
which Haywood and Fayette were ex-
cluded.
Lincoln county had a population in
1900 of 26,3O4, Robertson county of 25,-
O29, Sumner county of 26,O72, and Will
hanson county of 26, 429, and therefore
all these are excluded from the act.
Several other counties also made mar
row escapes, for instance Sullivan
county, with a population of 24,935,
was included in the bill, because it did
not have fifteen more inhabitants, and
Williamson county with a population
of 27O78, had three people too many to
be eligible TO immunity from this law.
1t can not be said that any thought
Of negro domination was responsible
for the exclusion of Lincoln county,
for of the total population only 6,084
were negroes; or of Robertson, with a
negro population of 6,S22, or of Sumner
with 6,667, or Williamson with 1864.
When the bill came up for discussion
in the house the representative from
Sumner county offered an amendment,
excluding this county, which was vot-
ed down, showing that neither the rep
resentative from Sumner nor the mem
bers of the house knew that this county
was already excepted. This was not
unexpected, for no proper time was
given either for the consideration of
this or the other election bills.
AS the act stands the counties, with
populations between the maximum
and minimum as arbitrarily fixed, will
escape the infliction of appointment of
judges and clerks by the republican
member without the consent of his as
sociates, while all other counties in the
state will have to bear any plague
which the republican members of the
county boards may choose to visit up
on them without the assent of the DEM
ocratic members, and without power in
the people themselves to prevent.
| disapprove senate bill No. 266 for
the reasons given, and ask for a recon-
sideration.
All these election bills which passed
the legislature and have been before
me for approval, | have considered
thoroughly, and have felt the duty and
and responsibility upon me, first as
governor of the whole people, and next
as the head of the democratic party in
Tennessee.
, Acting, as | am convinced, for the
better interests of the state, have used
the constitutional power of my office
= to prevent, if possible, their enactment
into laws.
If the legislature thinks it has moi
, abused its power, or exceeded the linn.
, its of its constitutional authority, am
as firmly of the opinion that it has.
, If it feels that it has represented the
will of the people, l am sure it has not
If it thinks these measures are fail
f and just, think they are neither
If it believes they will purify The
, ballot box and purge it of fraud, be
} lieve, on my part, these laws will bt
the nurturing mother of unnumbGreC
political crimes, and will subject thu
: people TO the tyranny of an oligarchy
from which it may take years to es
cape.
p If the legislative intent was to pas
: uniform and equitable laws, whicl
1 would preserve and protect the right
y of the citizen at the primary and a
4 the general polls, | believe that inten
y was, in some way, diverted and beguil
[ ed, and that the citizen of Tennessee
= stands the unprotected subject of tn
most unjust and oppressive politica
, legislation ever enacted in an enlight
ened state.
r The Force Bill, which once threaten
4 ed the south in the hour of her hardes
e trial, was not more odious to free peo
). pie than the laws your honorable bod
J. les have passed.
Respectfully submitted,