Atlanta semi-weekly journal. (Atlanta, Ga.) 1898-1920, 1910-06-14
Mahigning IrrOin 5 Citisensh,b
The ociIla star.

The Atlanta Constitution of June de-
voted double-eolumn on its editorial
page TO a vicious attack on the Georgia
registration law. using the condition OF
things in Irwin county, as has been re-
ported to this usually fair paper. as a
cudgel. In the course OF its argument
the Constitution uses some phrases that
do a grave injustice TO the citizenship
q Irwin county as a whole. Such ex-
pressions as the recent chronicled re-
volt OF Irwin county against the new
registration law 'extra-legal action OF
old Irwin may apply to a few of the
citizens OF Irwin county. but they GER
tainly can not be truthfully applied to
the citizens of the county as a whole.
The Constitution succeeded in gathering
a great deal OF misinformation when II
cleaned the following: The citizens OF
Irwin arraigned themselves in open re-
beilion against the oppressive and HIogi-
ca exactions OF this freakish regulation
BY common consent. it was agreed to ig-
more the laws Of the state and keep the
books open several weeks longer, that
citizens who had paid their taxes and
complied in other respects with the re-
orirements of decent citizenship should
not be arbitrarily disfranchised"
We do not know by what authority the
Constitution made the grave charges
against the good name OF Irwin county.
We believe this paper has been misled by
whoever is supplying IL with news from
this county. Its correspondent evidently
did not furnish IL with a report of a
mass meeting held in Ocilla on May g.
Just eight days before the revolt" This
mass meeting was called for another
purpose altogether, but while the meet
ing was in progress. a resolution was in
troduced indorsing the registration law.
out OF probably so citizens present. only
one voted aaginst the resolution. Did the
CONSTITUTIONS reporter send in an ac-
count OF this meeting? II he did. then
the Constitutions insult to the citizenship
OF this county was a studied one. II
he didn't the Constitution Is inexcusabls
for publishing a vicious attack upon the
citizens OF a lav-abiding county. This re-
volt II IL existed at all. was planned
and executed in a remarkably short time;
for on May 2, the citizens Of the county
expressed themselves in no uncertain
terms about their feelings in regard to
this law The common consent" exist
ed only in the mind OF the editor OF the
Constitution.
That the law was ignored, no one viii
deny. Every tax defaulter whose name
vas on the registration book Cplaced
there when he paid his state and county
ts= n tho faE). who paid his tax before
the first day OF June, was left on the list
Even more was done. Those whose
names did not appear at all on the vo-
ters' list, but who had paid their taxes
before June !. were put on the list, in
some cases, without their knowledge. In
more than one case, parties who were al
that time out Of the state, and who have
not yet returned. were registered No one
VIII attempt to deny that the law was
ignored. But that the citizens Of Irwin
county, by common consent" 'arraign-
ed themselves in open rebellion" against
the registration law we stoutly deny.
The blame must be placed where II
rightly belongs-upon a few politicians
who wanted IL done. and upon the regis
trars who allowed II to be done. There
was no general knowledge, to say moth
ing OF general consent. that any names
we're TO be added; and we believe that
the people OF the county as heartily con-
denim this proceeding as does the Con-
stitution, and since the Constitution
condemnation is summed up in no strong
er terms that extra legal action, we
viii say that they condemn II even more
heartily than does the Constitution