The Columbia herald. [volume] (Columbia, Tenn.) 18??-1935, 1910-01-28
JUDGE GORDON JOINS
ISSUE WITH LOOAEY
Continued from FIRST Page.J

years he has not paid a poll tax; his
name does not appear upon the books
as a tax payer. fail to find where
he has ever cast a vote in any Of the
regular elections, either State or cOun
~, since 1902 And under the law o.
Tennessee, which ne knows, he would
have to have had a poll tax receipt tc
east a vote. Not being a resident oil
citizen OF this State, as the above
records show and not having paid 9
poll tax. he could not legally vote IN
this state. He did not ask an opinion
upon a statement of these facts and
he further failed state to the legal
gentlemen employed to get out that
opinion the foilc yiAg facts which
hear and which he knows whether cor
rect or not and which upon the old
decisions of silence gives consent al.
firms them.
These facts are that Judge Looney
held the Office of School Commissioner
and of Road Commissioner Of Sunfiow-
er county, Mississippi, and that while
he was residing there he voted in that
county; that his brother-in-law was
elected Sheriff during that time and
had Judge Looney's vote for the once.
He could inform the people upon these
facts. He could also let them know
whether he paid taxes in Mississippi
and in what amount and whether by
the laws of Mississippi a poll tax is
paid and whether he paid 1t. This
brings us up to the setting up Of the
rag baby.
On the 26th day of October, 1909,
he announced himself a candidate for
county judge and at once entered upon
a stage plank canvass, after which the
"B" of eligibility began to buzz in his
ear and he at once took steps to allay,
if possible, the buzz, so he went to our
efficient Trustee and requested that
he back assess for poll taxes for the
year 1909, and after getting a receipt
for that year he concluded that to be
safe he had better go back and pay
his poll taxes for 1907 and 1908.
OF course, he was prepared to say
to his attorneys that he had paid poll
taxes here and thereupon this state
ment secured the legal opinion which,
when thoughtfully read, knocks his
baby down and his child's play is col
lapsed. The facts as given by the
records annul every assumption ex-
cept the sole one of intent, as II that
would entitle him to citizenship. 1t
may now be his intention, unless the
people of Maury county give him this
Office, to return to Mississippi So up
on that theory alone, he is now a citi-
zen OF Mississippi But fortunately
the question of intent was as late as
yesterday decided against him by a
decision handed down by Judge A. ]. |
Tyler at Bristol, Tenn, in the case OF
Miller VS.. Moore. This decision states
that in order to obtain citizenship a |
man must be an act"al resident OF
this state. In that case ]. j. Miller,
who resided in the Virginia portion
of Bristol, registered in Tennessee up
on the claim that it was his intention
to be citizen OF Tennessee, and upon
that intent he claimed the right to
vote in this State.
Judge Tyler decided that he was
not a citizen CT Tennessee, but of the
State OF Virginia. This is a parallel
case of citizen Of Mississippi trying
to set up his citizenship in Tennessee,
by having himeslf back assessed for
poll taxes. Judge Looney has visited
Maury county, Tennessee, frequently
and should be acquainted with the
laws, and had it been his intention to I
claim citizenship here could have had {
himself back assessed upon any Of
his several visits for the poll taxes
Tor the previous year. Does he not {
still owe from 1902 to 1906 poll taxes !
inclusive? Has he paid poll taxes for
hose four years, if so where? Let {
him answer. If he has not paid these q
axes won't the bee" still buzz
Now as to the expenses he knows .
hat he nor ! as county judge have
anything to do with the allowances;
hat our duties are solely ministerial
md that the quarterly county court
md the road commissioners make and
'ass upon the expenditures Of the
ounty, and this is an attack upon the G
Justices of the county and county road 8
who, ! think, need no s
efense, as the quarterly court re- q
elves promptly every three months G.
statement giving them every item lt
I expense ! might add that the ex- a.
enses OF the national and state
overnments and all the county 1.
overnments in Tennessee have