The Birmingham age-herald., 1921-08-19
CAND|DATESFOR
 CITY YCOMM|SS|ON
 REPLY ID BATSON
Would Gladly Join Movement to Give Soldiers Vote, But Law Interferes-CouId .
 Be Indie,od

Fear that amending confusion might result from the plan offered by s. R. Batson, candidate for as sociate commissioner of Birming- ham, to allow the soldier voters of Birmingham to cast their ballots this fall, even though they failed to pay their poll tax, is expressed in reply to Mr. Batson's letter signed by 13 candidates for the commits sion.
 The candidates whose names are signed to the letter declare they are not in favor of allowing any one to vote whose. right to do so might be questioned by any ylcftizen of Birming ham. Dire consequences to the men who voted without the legal right to do so are also pictured ill the reply. Although they themselves have no idea of contesting the election, they declare, no agreement could be en- tered into by them whereby the elec- ton IdWs are lo us sSt aSluS ah" uiS regarded.
 Those whose signatures are attach ed to the reply include: D.. N. A. Barrett and D. F. McLendon, eandi- date for the presidency of the com mission, and the following candidates for associate commissioner; w. b. Dickson, J. D. Truss, M. A. Hines, N. w. Scott. J. E. Lacey, w. B. Cloe,, John H. Taylor, J Ellis Brown, Mrs. Mary Echols, D. c. simmons and w. R. Mabry.
 The reply to MT. Batson reads as follows;
 Mi. s. R. Batson. City
 Dear MT. Batson:
 "Answerng your letter of the 18th inst. asking us to agree not to con test the city election in the event that eX X-service men vote in said election, without authority of law, beg to re- ply as follows:
 We regret exceedingly that these men have been deprived of the right of the franchise by a decision of the supreme court and as you say through no fault of theirs If 1t were in our power to confer this right upon these men. who sacrificed time and opportunity and offered their lives for their country, we would gladly and cheerfully join any move ment to do so, but as we see it. no action on our part would make them legal voters and therefore could not legalize an election in which they participate.
 "The candidates for office have no superior rights in this matter to any class of citizens in the city. We are informed that any citizen could at any time resist the enforcement of. an ordinance passed by a board ot commissioners elected at an election participated in by illegal voters. We fear that uneding confusion might result from such plan.
 "The election laws make it the duty of election inspectors to require of persons desiring to vote whose names do not appear on the poll list, to make an affidavit i'll writing that they are qualified and he in turn brings such affidavits to the atten- ton of the grand jury. It then be> comes the duty of said grand jury to indict such persons if they are found not to be qualified electors. We do not believe that it is right directly or indirectly to invite these young men to participate in an election wherein their action could be called in question.
 We have no idea of contesting th,s election but we could not enter into an agreement whereby our election laws are to be set aside and disre- garded.'