The Brandon news. (Brandon, Miss.) 1892-1961, 1910-05-12
JUDGE CAMPBELL ISSUES ADJ
DREss.-PRoTEsT AGAINST
ILLEGAL VOTING.

today made statement regarding the
danger of permitting tax delinquents and
other disqualified persons, to vote in
the primary election held under the state
primary law. The law itself, which was
drafted originally by Gov Noel, contains
provisions for furnishing illegal voters
and illegal voting permitted or connived
at by the officers of election in charge at
the polling places. But in the enthusiasm
of a primary election, where the result
promises to be close, the temptation to
permit illegal voting is strong and the
law in this regard is professionally viola
ted by both sides. An editorial which
recently appeared in the Brookhaven Lea
der, charging that about 10000 illegal
voters were allowed to participate in the
primaries, is being extensively copied and
commented upon, and it is upon this
editorial and other facts that Judge
Campbell bases mis- statement.
The total vote polled in the last state
primary exceeded 100000, and could have
been larger, by admitting illegal voters
1t may be that 10000 voters is too large
am estimate for the illegal ballots al
lowed to go in the boxes; but if it is,
it is not much over the mark, and is in
creasing year by year as the registration
increases.
The fact that disqualified men are
allowed to vote tends to encourage voters
not to pay their poll taxes which can be
lodged.
Judge Campbell's views on this ques-
ton will carry great weight with the
people of Mississippi, and cannot fail to
be of universal interest in view of the
possible special primary election proposed
for November as statement of the scra-
torial contest. Judge Campbell says:
''None but qualified electors should be
allowed to vote at primary or other cleo
tons. The constitution of the state de-
clares who should be entitled to vote and
among the prescribed qualifications is
payments, on or before the first of Feb
ruary of the year in which he shall offer
to vote, all taxes which may have been
legally required of him and which he
has had an opportunity of paying accord
ing to law, for the preceding years, not
merely poll taxes but all taxes and who
shall produce to the officers, holding the
election satisfactory evidence that he has
paid his taxes.
Primary elections have been the real
election in this state. Only those quail
fed to vote at the final elections-those
prescribed by the constitution, are entitled
to vote in the primary elections. 1t is
a sad commentary on the capacity and
fidelity of thost officially connected with
elections, if it is true that those delin-
quent for any taxes are permitted to vote.
All who vote not being qualified incur
a penalty of $500, Nor imprisonment for
six months, or both. The constitution re-
quires the voter to produce to the officers
holding the election satisfactory evidence
that he has paid the taxes required of him.
SIN practice the requirement is rarely
complied with and it occurs to me that
the great evil of allowing unqualified
men to vote has arisen from the practice
of receiving the ballots of all whose names
are found on the poll books Managers
cf elections accept the poll books as evil
dence of the right to vote. This shows
the great importance of an intelligent and
faithful performance of duty by commits
sioners of elections. 1t is their duty to
revise the registration books at the time
prescribed and to erase the names of ali
who have died, removed or become dis
qualified as electors from any cause. In
order to perform this duty they should
compare the lists of delinquents for poll
tax and all other sources of information
in the sheriff's Office, advertisements of
land to be sold for taxes and every avail
able source of information as to nonpay-
ments of taxes before the first of February
and every name of persons who have not
paid poll tax and property tax as required
should be erased as required by law and
the poll books thus purged would not mis-
lead the managers of elections. To per-
NIT one not qualified to vote is great
wrong, and every safeguard prescribed to
prevent this should be employed. 1t is an
outrage On decency as well as the consti-
tuition to permit the vote of one not quail
fed to cast it to balance that of the quail
fed voter.
at is hoped that grand juries, justices
of the peace, county attorneys and district
attorneys as well as circuit judges will
be astute to secure conformity to the con-
stitution and laws in the matter of cleo
tons and that all who violate them in
"A