The Brunswick news. [volume] (Brunswick, Ga.) 1906-2016, 1910-02-17
BOOKS To CLOSE
ON APRIL FIFTH
ALL VOTERS IN STATE MUST BE
QUALIFIED BY THEN OR
THEY CANNOT VOTE.
New Law Not Thoroughly Understood.
Some Features Of lt-Expected That
Registration in Georgia viii Be
Small This Year.

Under the new state registration
law, which requires that the state reg
istration books shall close six months
IN advance of the general election.
the books all over Georgia will close
April 5th.
lnasmuch as the election takes
place October 5th, and because of the
fact that there will probably be no
big campaign on before April to stir
voters up to the point of registering.
1t is believed in political circles here
that there will be material reduction
in the total of the state vote.
There has been a great deal of crit
lclsm ct the new law, on just this
ground, as it is pointed out that no.
body knows what may break loose"
late in the summer at time when
1t will be too late to register. Poll
tical life is quiescent now and it is
declared that there are thousands of
people in Georgia who will wake up
on the morning cf April 9Th, or some
day later, absolutely amazed to find
that they have been disqualified from
voting tbs year.
Here are some of the other provis-
ions of the new law:
The voters books shall be opened
by the tax collectors at the time when
they begin the collection of taxes
each yeaE and shall close them in
the year in which there is a general
election six months before the date of
said election.
The following are qualified to regis
ter: ,-.s-, ..4, .4.,....
All persons who have honorabIy
served in the land or naval forces of
the United States in the revolutionary
war, in the war CT 1912 or in the war
with Mexico, or in the wars with the
Indians, or in the war with Spain. or
who have honorably served in the
confederate forces or in the forces
of the state of Georgia in the war be-
tween the states; or all persons law
fully descended from those enumerat-
ed in the classes named above; or all
persons who are of good character
and understand the duties and obliga-
tions of citizenship under the republi-
can form of government; Cr all per-
sons who can correctly read in Eng
lish language any paragraph of the
constitution of the United States, or
correctly write the same in English
language when read to them by one
of the registrars; and all persons who
solely by reason of physical disabili-
ties are unable to comply with the
above requirements, but who can un-
derstand and give a reasonable inter
probation of any paragraph of the
constitution of the United States, Of
his state, when read to them by any
one Of the registrars; or any person
who is the owner in good faith of at
least forty acres of land, situated in
this state, upon which he resides or
is the owner in good faith in his own
right of property in this state and
assessed for taxation at the value of
$500
The tax c-llector or his clerk shall
sign the voters book or any separate
printed oath unless such person shall
have actually made the oath before
him therein contained When voter
is registered, except in the cases
when the voter is a veteran or de-
scendant of a veteran, and then only
in case he can continue to comply
{ the requirement that he shall still
understand. the duties and obliga-
tions Of citizenship.
The only persons authorized to reg
lister voters are the tax collectors and
their clerks The law prohibits per-
son to register unless he takes the
oath before the tax collector or his
clerk