The Brunswick news. [volume] (Brunswick, Ga.) 1906-2016, 1910-06-16
IS OPPOSED To
REGISTRATION
LAW OF STATE
GOVERNOR BROWN WANTS THE
LEGISLATURE TO MAKE SOME
CHANGES.
In His Message to the Lesish .ere,'
Which Meets Next Week, He {%Ai.
-Recommend Repeal of Present
Registration Law in Georgia.

Atlanta, June 15.-;n his message
to the general assembly, whica is
now in process of preparation, Gov,
Brown will recommend the repeal of
the present registration law, wlich
requires that the registration books
shall be closed six months prior t.
an election.
The governor, it is said, will point
franchising thousands of voters OF the
rfanchising thousands of voters of the
state by the early closing REQUIRE
ment. In support of this statement
ne will give comparative nugures'
showing the number CT voters who
were registered in previous years.
and the number registered this year.
which shows that thousands of voters
who are of the best in the state, Aave
been denied the privilege of voting
because the books closed before they
iaad an opportunity to register, of
ref re there was any political cam
paIgn on to arouse their interest.
The Registration Law.
Regarding the registration law, in
mis- message last year the governor
said
In my Judgment one Of tie main
provisions of the law should be
amended 1t provides that the reg
istry lists shall be closed on April /
of election years, or more than SIX
months In advance OF the election.
recommend that this be changed, so
that in the interim between the clos
ing of the lists and of the elections
NAV be no more than thirty days ibe-
fore general, special or primary cleo
tions. -~
at is a well-known fact that a
large majority Of our farmers and
business men do not pay their taxes
in person, but by agents or by check
1t is therefore easy to see how the
present law will practically disfran-
chise many good citizens.
"To require the. citizens of Georgia
to register six months in advance OF
tne election is entirely too drastic
We presume that the average Geor-
gia voter is honest. This act pre-
,unoes that he is not, and seeks to
shut him out unawares from the nat
ural right of free citizen, i. e., the
right to vote. The law should make
# easy. not hard, for a man to vote
the presumption # innocense Jein8
on his side,
we should abstain as far as pos
sible from restrictive legislation, Tor
the true democratic idea is that the
citizen shall have tae greatest posi-
lie freedom so long as it does not
Interfere with the rights OF others
Objectionable Features.
Otbe, obiecti nable features CT the
law will be pointed out by tae gov
e:nor to the legislature, it is said
Il is stated the governor viii repeat
Ais recommendation that sta .
should issue a'out $6o0.0o9 worth OF
bonds, thus utilizing the credit OF the
state for the purpose Il completing
tie payments due teachers OF Georgia
In his last message the governor
recommended that the proceeds or
December when the taxes ore coi-
nermanent loan fund to be loaned
. ery spring to the school fun1
t. be returned to the loan e IN
the bonds should be used to create a
lected. Under this method the prompt
,,avment Of teachers will re assured
It is also stated that the governor
will repeat his recommendation tna'
ne railroad commission should be re-
dnced from five TO three, and VIII
gain call attention 70 the PLATFORM
n.,.n which the present administra-
-.on Of Georgia was chosen.