The Tupelo journal., 1911-06-09
"Let the Blessed Sunlight
|Of Publicity Shine In"
The Mississippi Senatorial Campaign, by L. p. S.

city, county, congressional and State
should take cognizance of this abuse
! n order, by resolution, the making
of lists of qualified electors to be fur
nished the judge of primary elections
as a guide for legal action.
The fact that a man is REGISTERED
does not necessarily mean that he is
a qaliied ~elector. Thousands of men
register and then default for taxes.
and while their names remain on the
registration lists, they cannot vote at
any election under the law, and are liza
BILE to sever punishment if they do.
"Unless steps are speedily taken to
stop illegal and fraudulent voting in
primaries, the primary election law OF
Mississippi will become a r~eproach, the
State governed by the non-taxed, and
the ship of state will founder amid the
breakers.
whittier are we driftingf"
As above stated, Judge Campbell was
SO impressed with the timeliness of the
editorial just quoted from the Brook
haven Leader, that he addressed the fol
lowing communication to the Clarion
Ledger. This communication was han
died at the time by the Jackson CORE
spondents Of the Memphis and New Or
leans papers. 1t follows in full:
Editor Clarion-Ledger:
"The article appearing in the Clarion
Ledger of April 80, copied from the
Brookhaven Leader, is on a subject OF
very great Importance, and therefore
worthy of the attention of all who feel
an interest in Mississippi.
"None but qualified electors should be
allowed to vote at primary or other
elections. Reconstruction of the State
declares who is entitled to vote, and
among the prescribed qualification is
payment, 'on or before the first of Feb
ruary OF the year in which he shall offer
to vote, of all taxes which may have
been legally required of him, and which
he has had an opportunity of paying &C
cording to Law, for the two preceding
years mot merely poll taxes, but all
taxes), and who shall produce to the
officers holding the election satisfac.
tory evidence that he has paid said
taxes
Primary elections have become the
real elections in this State. Only those
qualified to vote at the final elections
(those prescribed by the constitution
are entitled to vote in the primary cleo
ton. 1t is a sad commentary on the
capacity and fidelity of those officially
connected with elections, if it is true
that those delinquent for any taxes are
permitted to vote.
GALL WHO VOTE, NOT BEING
QUALIFIED, INCUR A PENALTY OF
5000 OR IMPRISONMENT FOR SIX
MONTHS, OR BOTH. The constitution
requires the voter to produce to the
officers holding the election satisfactory
evidence that he has paid the taxes re-
quired of him. In practice the require
ment is rarely, if ever, complied with,
and it occurs to me that the great
evil of allowing n~on-qualified men to
vote has arisen from the practice of
receiving the ballots of all whose names
are found on the poll books.
Managers of elections accept the poll
books as evidence OF the right to vote.
This shows the great Importance of an
intelligent and faithful performance OF
duty by county commissioners of cleo
ton. 1t is their duty to revise the
registration books at times prescribed
and to erase the names of all who have
died, removed or become disqualified as
electors from any cause.
"Ip order to perform this duty they
should compare the list of delinquents
for all taxes and all other sources of
information in the sheriff's office, the
city tax collectors office, advertise
ments of lands to be sold for taxes, and
every available source of information,
as to n~on-payment of taxes, before the
1st day 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 permit one not qualified to vote
is a great wrong, and every safeguard
to prevent this should be employed. 1t
is an outrage on decency, as well as the
constitution, to permit the vote of one
not authorized to cast it to balance
that of the qualified voer.
1T is to be hoped that grand juries,
justices of the peace, county attorneys
and district attorneys, as well as circuit
Judges, will be astute to secure con-
formity to the constitution and laws
in the matter of elections, and that all
who violate them in any particular
shsd be made to suffer the prescribed
penalties.
1T might happen that a good citizen
would some time be deprived Of the
right to vote by a strict enforcement of
the law; BUT NOTHING CAN JUST
IFY A VIOLATION OF THE FUNDA-
MENTAL LAW OF THE COMMON.
WEALTH. LAX ADMINISTRATION
OF LAW is A GREAT EVIL, AND
WHEN IT AFFECTS PURITY OF
ELECTIONS 1T AIMS A DEATH
BLOW AT THE COMMONWEALTH.
st is hoped that commissioners Of
elections will faithfully perform their
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