Americus times-recorder., 1920-03-02
CITY CAN'T Vote
MSCHOOL RACE.
FINAL DECISION
Meeting Held To Discuss
Possibility Of Earlier
Error

The county Democratic executive
committees ruling that the voterc
residing inside Of the city of Ameri-
Gus may not vote in tomorrow'x
county primary on the Office o. codn-
~ scnool superintendent, made at the
committees last previous meeting,
-tands. That was the decision of the
committee at a called meeting held
4hortly before noon today at the
court house, after 1t had summoned
County Attorney Maynard before it
and received his Interpretation of the
law.
The committee meeting was called
when it became apparent late yestar-
day that considerable dissatisfaction
was developing in Americus by what
some termed their being "dlsfran-
chised' in this particular 1t was
stated by some voters that they were
land owners and tax payers for
school purposes outside the city il
sumner county, and that they should
not be denied the right to vote for
this office. The dissatisfaction found
voice chiefly after publication of the
letter OF Attorney General Cn1ford
Walker stating it to be his unofficial
opinion that the law did not apply to
primaries and that all the vo.ers of
The count should be permitted to
cast their ballots for this office.
Might Engender Strife.
County Attorney Maynard advis-
ed the committee that 1t was his be-
lief that the law did not bar any of
the voters of the county from mar
tIclpating in the primary election of
county school superintendent, but he
stated that the law clearly did bar
them from participating in the gem
eral election for this office, and that
to permit them to vote now and as
SIT in naming the party nominee
might tena TO create dissatisfaction
and friction and encourage the en-
try of an independent candidate in
the fall election against the primary
choice, producing a situation 1T was
desirable not to produce and engen-
derlng strife. Following his aovice
the committee unanimously adopted
a motion expressing regret to those
In the city who desired to vote on
county uper.nrendent at this time
that they could not comply with
their wishes, being obliged to follow
what seemed the best Interpretation
of the law.
1t came to the attention of the
committee that the assertion had
been made by certain voters IN the
city that, regardless Of the commit
tees ruling, thy intended to vote in
the county superintendent race,
writing in the name Of the candidate
preferred if forced to use a ballot
with the names of these cand dates
missing.
Votero Warned.
This resulted in the committee is
suing Instructions to the 9th district
election officials not to permit any
such voting, and at the same time in
structing the secretary to issue a
warning through the press that all
ballots would be checked up as to
residence of the voters, and that if
any person living in the city cast a
vote in the superintendent race it
would be thrown out as to that office.
All voters were asked to comply,
cheertully with the committees rule,
and it was believed that this request
would be followed A man will be
placed at the voting place in Ameri-
Gus to explain to the voters the mean
ing of the two ballots, the light blue
colored for persons living in the city
of Americus and the white for all
others.
The committee members present
were G. D. Brlnkley, J. j. Wilson, j.
C. Carter, j. T. Methvin, E. Thinner.
man, Chairman J. A. Davenport and
Secretary F. B. Arthur.
Indications today were that a very
heavy vote would be cast all over the
county. The total registration up
to last night was 1925 IN the 9th
district, including the city of Ameri-
Gus, and 1858 for the entire county,
Additional registration today was ex-
pected to bring the total for the coun-
ty up to 2,400.