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The Weekly Tribune
THE WEEKLY TRIBUNE.
One year *»*;
gy Payment* required tn advance.
THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 30, 1893
« <— 1 - '■ "
AGENTS FOR THE TRIBUIte.
Armuchee -Miss Lillian Watts,
Crystal Springs—Mrs. P. M. Storey.
Cave Spring—T. J. Davis.
Silver Creek—George Porter.
Van’s Valley—B. B. Sanders.
We will pay 25 cents each tor
n lew copies ot The Weekly
Tribune ot March 16th.
W. G. COOPER, Mang
THE ATLANTA HERALD.
The failure of the Atlanta Herald
is to be regretted. It was one of
the brightest and best afternoon pa
pers in the South and its editor, Mr.
Josiah Carter, is an experienced
newspaper man of energy and good
judgment. His trouble seems to
have been the result of too much
enterprise. In ordinary years, the
efforts which the Herald has lately
put forth would have put the paper
on a wave of prosperity, but busi
ness was not in a condit : on to re
spond to unusual demands, and Mr.
Carter’s energy has not met the re
ward which it won five years ago on
the Journal.
We hope he may be able to re
sume.
A STRONG PETITION.
The petition of tax payers to the
representatives of Floyd county is
one of the strongest ever signed. It
contains the names of good citizens,
who represent in an eminent degree
the brains and character of this
community. Several citizens of the
outlying districts, who were met
with in a short canvass of the busi
ness part of the city, gladly em
braced the opportunity to sign the
petition. The sentiment is about
as unanimous on this question as it
ever gets to be on any. Os eighty
or ninety to whom it was presented,
only five or six failed to sign the pe
tition.
We trust that our representatives
will give due consideration to the
wishes of their constituents and will
support the reform which is
earnestly desired by the people of
Floyd county.
Senator Corput has amended
the bill in several particulars to
meet the views of his constituents,
and will be glad to have suggestions
with a view to further perfecting it.
MR. NEEL’S LETTER.
We print this morning a commu
nication from Senator Corput and
also one from Mr. Neel, with refer
ence to the registration law now
pending before the legislature.
Hr. Neel had not seen the peti
tion of taxpayers when he wrote
this letter, and we suppose he has
been somewhat enlightened by this
time, for it will at least show him
that the sentiment in thiscommunity
is overwhelmingly for the bill.
An effort has been made to get the
chairman of the county democratic
committe to sign a petition oppos
ing this bill, and he declined to do
so. An effort is now being made to
prejudice the people of Floyd county
against the bill by calling it a Peo
ple’s Party measure. The same
parties who are doing this were
calling the Australian ballot a Peo
ple’s Party measure last fall, though
it was adopted by democratic states
and was publicly endorsed by Gro
ver Cleveland before the People’s
party was born. Some excuse is
always found tor opposing electoral
reforms, however meritorious they
may be. The friends of this meas
ure have invited candid criticism,
and have offered to meet any reas
onable objection, but its opponents
have seen fit to offer such far-fetched
complaints as to claim that this is
a People’s Party measure, when they
know it originated with a senator
and representative elected by Dem
crats in opposition to People’s Party
candidates. This is a lame, a very
lame pretext, but it is being used to
workup prejudice against the bill.
The provision for registrars greatly
facilitates the registration in country
districts, and the convenience of
those people should be considered.
It the petition which was forward
ed to our representatives on Thurs
day will not convince them that the
real sentiment of this community is
for the registration bill, we do not
think they could be convined, though
one should rise from the dead. Op
position to the bill is being fomented
by persons who have a personal in
terest in keeping things as they are.
They say “let well enough alone.”
The good people of Floyd do not
think the character of elections is
“well enough.” They think, on the
contrary, that it is bad enough.
We are glad to have Mr. Neel’s
criticism of the bill. in regard to
the claim that it is cumbersome,
eto., we respectfully submit that if
it is, he ought to have done a better
job while he was at it. As to the
machinery of the bill, we never saw
good machinery that didn’t have
opposition. As to the expense, it is
exaggerated, and will be trifling in
comparison with the value of pure
elections. As to disfranchising
those who have not paid their taxes,
we think those who bear not their
part of the burden of government
should have no voice in it. If they
have paid their taxes they ought to
be able to prove it. The unim
peached oath of a good citizen
would be valid evidence in his own
behalf. As to the trouble of regis
tering, we think the taxpayers will
cheerfully take that if they can get
clean elections, and their trouble
would be less with district regis
trars.
It has been objected to the bill
that it takes too much swearing.
We think, if a man is not on the
list of tax defaulters, he might be
allowed to register without taking
any oath.
THE REGISTRATION BILL.
A good deal of misrepresentation
of the pending registration bill no
doubt originated in a misunderstand
ing of the 3d section, which is ma
terially amended in the bill as it.
passed the senate.
On Sunday November sth we
printed the bill as it was introduced,
and criticised, it at some length.
The third section is the one to which
most opposition is manifested. The
first part of the section provides for
The opening of books for registra
tion in each district 30 days before
election, to be accessible for fifteen
days exclusive of Sundays, between
10 o’clock a. m, and 4p. m. When
more than one place in a district is
designated for registration, the fif
teen days are to be divided between
the several places. Notice is to be
given by publication and posting,
and all applications to register are
to bein person. And the applicant
is to give his residence, age and col
or. The registrar is to furnish a
certificate to each man registered,
and is also to certify the correctness
of each page of his book, at the
bottom of each sheet. The remain
der of the section is the chief cause
of contention and we give it verba
tim as first introduced:
And blanks for the forgoing purpose
shall be furnished to such registrars by the
commissioners of roads and revenue. But
the registrar shall allow no person whose
name is upon the list of defaulters fur
nished as hereinbefore provided, to regis
ter unless such applicant produces his tax
receipts for the year or years in which he
is in default as appear on said list or lists,
or produces other satisfactory evidence,
which must be other than his oath, that
such taxes have been paid; nor shall he
allow any person to register whom he
knows, or from satisfactory evidence as
certains to be disqualified from registering
and voting.
The Tribune objected to this in
the same issue as follows:
The registrar is clothed with large pow
ers. He is directed to exclude from reg
istration, not only those who are on the list
of defaulters, but also to exclude those
whom he may know to be defaulters, even
though they may take oath to the contrary.
This is dangerous power to put in the
hands of one man, especially when it es
tops men from the exercise of the highest
function of citizenship. The voter may
produce proof to correct the list of default
ers when it does him injustice, but he is at
his row's end when the registrar asserts
that he knows to the contrary, and refuses
to register the man. The only recourse
then would be the costly one of employ
ing a lawyer and asking the court for a
andamus. It would be well to lop off
’"is provision and let the official list of de
faulters be the test until it could be set
asid . by evidence.
The proposed law is not sufficiently clear
as to the manner in which the list of de
fau’ters is to be set aside or corrected by
evidence. It sliou’d not be'done by any
ex-parte proceeding.
Subsequently that section was
amended by aciding after “voting”
these words:
Without noting opposite his name the
THE WEEKLY TRIBUNE, THUbSdaY. NOVEMBER 30. iatfa.
reason why he should not be allowed to
register, and all such names shall be sub
mitted to the board of roads and revenues,
who shall pass upon the same, and their
findings will be Ana'.
Thus amended, the third section
was passed by the senate. We think
a fair construction of that clause as
amended would carry all disputed
cased before the County Commis
sioners. The registrar would enter
them on the registration list after
oath was administered, note the
objections, and report them to the
commissioners. There is one clause
in the bill which the amendment
does not cover,and one which should
be stricken. It requires the
voter to prove the payment of taxes
by evidence other than his own
oath. We do not think such a re
quirement would be constitutional.
Until a man’s evidence is impeached,
or unless he is under indictment
for crime, his evidence should avail
in his own behalf. But if the tax
defaulter’s list contradicts his evi
dence, the matter should be re
ported to the commissioners for in
vestigation, where the truth might
be established With this further
amendment, we think the bill will
stand the test of time.
THE SALVATION ARMY.
The international congress of the
of the salvation army was one of the
events in New York city last week.
The New York Examiner gives this
interesting account of it:
“Both offered more or less of the
attraction of the circus. This was
designedly and brilliantly conspicu
ous in the evening procession of the
army from their headquarters at
Forty-fifth street and Broadway to
the Carnegie Music Hall where their
chief public demonstration took
place. About 2,000 officers and sol
diers were in line, in full uniform,
including some ..SOU -women tam
bourine players. A Buddhist priest,
Lord Ratna Paia, who has become a
fervent Salvationist, led a band of
his dusky followers in gorgeous
Oriental costume and mounted on
richly caparisoned camels. The
whole procession was illuminated by
torches and Greek, fire.
“At the thrbngeii meeting in the
music hall one of the most striking
speakers was “Doctor” Logan, a
Canadian Indian iwhe appeared in
his native dress.’’ 1 'Mrs. Ballington
Booth was greeted’,'as she always is,
with rapturous applause. A friend
who was present tells iis that the
little woman’s modesty was as
marked as her beauty and eloquence.
When the tumultuous welcome of
the audience broke out as she came
upon the stage, she dropped upon
her knees with an unmistakable
simplicity and sincerity most touch
ing to witness. A great sensation
was produced by the speech of Lord
Ratna Paia. In fluent but quaintly
flavored English, he told the story
of his conversion, closing with a
fervid appeal to his hearers to ac
cept the gospel of Jesus. It was a
strange and almost awful turning of
the tables for thiseconverted heath
en to stand before a great audience
in a Christian country and plead
with them to be Christians.
“The .reports of the army’s work
during the past year show immense
advance. According to the state
ment of Commander Ballington
Booth 39,102 converts have joined
the army during that time, and no
less than 16,000,000 persons have
attended their services. On the
evening following the Carnegie Hall
exercises a great consecration meet
ing was he d in Cooper Union. Over
100 people offered themselves as
candidates for posts of regular ser
vice in the army.”
THE TARIFF BILL.
The Democratic Tariff bill is out
at last. It makes some radical
changes, but introduces a wise con
servatism in the arrangement for
the gradual reduction of duty on
such items as the wool schedule.
Some Southern people arc making
a fuss about placing coal and iron
ore on the free list, but we fail to
see where any Southern industry
can be hurt. Iron ore is raised
from a dollar to a dollar and a half a
ton in Georgia and Alabama, and
no foreign ore can come in and com
pete with that. The Lake Supe
rior ore and otheis of that class will
be more likely to suffer. Indeed,
wethink the effect of this bill will
be to force development of Southern
iron because it is the iron which can
compete best with the world.
The farmers will be gratified to
know that they will have cheap
bagging and ties, and every house
hold will welcome the slight fur
ther reduction of the duty on sugar.
The gradual abolition of the sugar
bonus was a foregone conclusion by
a Democratic Congress, but it will,
of course, cause some complaint.
The reduction of the wool sched
ule will perhaps more than any
other reduction, affect people ma
terially and appreciably. Ihe cost
of clothing will, no doubt, be con
siderably reduced. It is to be
hoped that the Democrats will have
the nerve to put the bill through
without flinching.
THE HAWAIIAN MATTER.
Secretary Gresham’s repoit on
the Hawaiian matter naturally
comes as a great shock to the pub
lic, for they were not prepared for
anything on that line. They did
not know the facts as set forth in
Mr. Gresham's letter, and had re
ceived an altogether different im
pression from the associated press
dispatches. It is true that Mr.
Charles Nordhoff, who went to Ha
waii for the New York Herald,report
ed that the Hawaiians did not desire
annexation and the revolution was
the work of thrifty adventurers,
who hoped to base a land specula
tion on the annexation of the islands
to the United States, one of them
having bought 40,000 acres in the
vicinity of the harbor; but it was
not thought that Minister Stevens
was a party to the plot, or that he
had used the power of the United
States jo. effee-t- -tfer - overthrow of
"Queen Liliuokalani. If these things
are true, and they are asserted to
be true by the Secretary after a
prolonged and searching investiga
tion by the President’s special com
missioner, Mr. Blount, the hasty
preparation and submission of a
treaty by Mr. Harrison’s adminis
tration was a very grave error. The
position taken by Secretary Gresh
am and the President is that a very
grave wrong has been done a friend
ly power by the government of the
United States,and that the only just
course is to right the wrong and
place matters in the status prior to
the landing of the United States
marines and gatling guns last Jan
uary.
The matter turns on a question
of fact, on which the testimony is
conflicting. The question is wheth
er the power of the United States
was used to upset the throne of
Liliuokalani. It it was, the throne
should be re-established, just as a
gentleman, when he knocks anoth
er’s hat off, will promptly restore it.
whether the owner be Democrat- or
Republican, a subject of the Queen
or a sovereign American citizen.
This question having been made,
and a distinguished and experienced
statesman from Georgia having been
selected to investigate the facts, we
shall not, in advance of his report,
assume that he is in error, however
unpleasant a duty throne propping
may be.
It seems almost a foregone con
clusion that Mr. Gresham is right,
judging from the qotations he
makes from Mr. Blount’s report, es
pecially the statement of Admiral
Skerrett.
The Manufacturer’s Record says
in Its weekly letter:
“The advancement of the South
ern States in industrial matters
continues uninterrupted, each week
presenting many new manufactur
ing and other enterprises as organ
ized or established. Announcements
c mtinue to appear of plants icium
iig on full time after cessation of
operations for a short period. Muni
cipal improvements continue to at
tract attention. A revival in cotton
manufacturing interests is notices
ble, several new mills being proposed,
and some important additions to
old established plants are now un
der way.”
The Fort Worth Gazette has made
a calculation and finds that accord
ing to population Texas is entitled
to seven hundred and nine places at
the hands of the Administration. It
has received only one hundred and
forty-eight. Consequently it rises
and demands the remainder.
Virginia raises 5,000,000 bushels
©f peanuts and $4,000,000 worth of
fruits and vegetables. The iion
product is 200,000 tons, and over
$2,900,000 of gold has been sent to
the United States mint. This State
has the largest lead mines in the
South and the greatest manganese
mines in the world.
“Once, by a moment’s hesitation,”
says the Augusta Herald, “Mr.
Plant failed to secure the Port Roy
al Railroad. He is being crowded
now. The Coast Line extensions,
the Florida Central and Peninsula’s
scoop of the South Bound, the Lou
isville and Nashville control of the
Georgia and South Carolina and the
other movements now being made
on the Railroad checker board may
put Mr. Plant to thinking over the
Port Royal Railroad again. This
is the view of a conservative and
well posted railroad man of Au
gusta.”
Mr. William Walter Phelps,
ex minister to Germany, says that
the New York newspapers’ now vie
with each other as to which shall
make the most personal mentions.
With the appetite growing on what
it feeds, Mr. Phelps asked, Can per
sonal journalism stop its downward
trend until some triumphant Sun
day issue prints the New York di
rectory, with a sketch and portrait
for every name, and this ignoble
competition dies of satiety?
A letter written with one’s own
hand is considered more respectful
and courteous than any other.
Bishop Barrington, whose hand
.writing ja.execrable, wrote t-O-a cor
respondent: “Out of respect I write
to you with my own hand, but to
facilitate the reading I send you a
copy made by my amanuensis.”
The synod ot Georgia has ar
ranged to celebrate its semi-centen
nial in 1895, which year will also be
the semi-centennial of the Presby
terian church at Rome. Would it
not be a good idea to have the Syn
od meet here that year and have a
joint celebration?
If the committee wants to frame
a good banking act, it had better
take counsel of men in the busi
ness. That is what Canada did,
and she has the best banking law
in the world. It pleases everybody.
One reform leads to another.
Floyd county always was a pioneer.
Let her set the State a pattern in
electoral reform. Begin with a good
registration law.
The Legislature has not yet suc
ceeded in raising a row. The duel
ists must have been frost-bitten.
Queen Lxl has a little bill—or
will have if Uncle Sam doesn’t put
her back where he found her.
The State of Georgia ought to
quit putting children in jail. The
jail is the devil’s workshop.
The Fakirs have been kicked out
of the Augusta Exposition, much to
the relief of the public.
Mr. Thurston is becoming an
issue. He may yet be the scape goat
of the Hawaiian affair.
The Legislature seems to be out
of a job. The bank bill will give
them something to do.
It is reported that Queen Lil will
sue Uncle Sam for a breach of
promise.
To the Legislature—Go slow on
the bank bill and make a good one.
A good registration law is almost
as good as the Australian ballot.
The Corput bill or something
better!
A CARD FROM JUDGE HARRIS-
Section 1276 of the code of Georgia
gives the qualification of a voter in the
State of Georgia; among them is the re
quirement that the voter shall have paid
all taxes since 1877 —this is not substan
tailly the law—except for the year of the
election.lt further declares that no person
shall vote who, if challenged, shall refuse
to swear (’imoDg other things) that he has
paid the required taxes. The same sec
tion prohibits persons convicted of cer
tain crimes, and also all idiots and lu
natics from voting.
The right of challenging or questioning
the vote of any person offering to vote
anywhere in this state is fully given by
- nevertheless for some some reason,
a bill has passed the senate of this com
monwealth which challenges—questions
—tbe voteof every citizen of Floyd connty
and before he can cist his ballot for the
men and measures he favors, tbe upright
and honest voter is required toswear that
he has paid all taxes as required by law.
Why not compel him to swear at the same
time that he is not a convict and that he
is not an idiot and not insane?
The constitution authorizes the general
assembly to provide for the registration
of all the voters of tbe state, but it gives
no warrant, as I understand it, to impose
burdens on tbe electors of Floyd county
not imposed on the voters of other
counties. But granting that such an act
would not contravene the constitution of
the state, would it not in effect be a
challenge of the right of every citizen of
Floyd county to exercise the right
suffrage—‘‘the right of suffrage”—and
would it not aleo make every sensitive
voter’s ears tingle ana cheeks burn when
he thought that his right to vote was
questioned by tbe general assembly, and
would not many good men abstain from
registering?
It seems to me that the effect of the bill
would be to give elections into the hands
of such as do not have any regard for the
sanctity of an oath. A conscientious man
swears as seldom as possible, and would
rather give up his right to vote than to
make wholesale declarations of his rioti
tude and call npon the Almighty to at
test the truth of his oath.
I care not how the ballotbox is hedged
about with safeguards, but I do protest
against the passage of a law that ques
tions the right of every citizen of Floyd
county to vote under the general law of
the land. R R. Harris.
FROM MR- NEEL.
Atlanta, Ga. Nov. 23.
Editor Tribune:
I have read Senator Corput’s card in
Sunday’s Tbibunk, relative to the pro
posed amendment to the registration law
of Floyd county,{and note his “call” on
the representatives from Floyd to “pub
licly and candidly” define their attitude
towards the bill. I cheerfully comply
with his request for an expression of my
views. _ . _ ,- _
SanatGr Corput in the prep
aration of this bHI, and stated to him
that I would give it my support and in
fluence in the House, provided it met
the approval of the Democrats of Floyd
county.
In order to test the sentiments of the
people it was agreed that both the Rome
papers should be asked to publish the
bill and give it as wide a circulation in
the county as possible. This was done.
I also wrote to the editor of the Hustler,
suggesting that representative citizens
be interviewed in regard to the measure.
As a result about a dozen citizens ex
pressed themselves through the Hustler.
About as many more have spoken to me
personally in regard to it; while several
have written to me.
Os thia number only two have favored
the spirit of tbe bill, and they have given
it only a qualified endorsement.
Various objections are urged to it.
One says it is too cumbersome and has
too much machinery and red-tape about
it. Another, that the present registra
tion law, as amended by the act of 1890,
is rigid enough. Another, that it will
pat the voter to greater inconvenience
and the county to greater expense than
the old law. Another, that it will dis- ,
franchise all who cannot produce tax
receipts for the past 16 years, or make
positive proof that they have paid all
taxes since 1877.
These obj actions to the bill have not
caused me to over-look its merits. Per
sonally I would be willing to place the
registration of voters in the bands of the
local authorities of each militia district
if chey should so desire it. But the Cor
put bill, so-called, puts each voter to the
necessity, after paying his taxes, of hunt
ing up the district registrar and signing
an oath that he has paid all taxes since
1877, before be can get his name cu the
voting list of his district; whereas the
law now is that the payment of taxes
operates as a registration without further
formality or trouble, and only those who
are exempt from taxation are required to
hunt up the tax collectors for registra
tion.
I feel that I should be governed in this
matter, as in all others that may come
before me as a representative, by the ex- *
pressed wishes of a majority of the par
ty that elected me. And with the in
formation now at hand, it would seem
that the people of Floyd connty do not
desire the passage of this bill.
I have frankly stated to Senator Cor
put that almost every expression I had
heard from the Democrats of the counrty
was against tbe bill, and that I did not
want it passed if it failed to meet the ap
proval of our friends. lam authorized
to say that Mr. Bryan and Mr. Price,
both of whom directly represent county
constituencies, are opposed to the bill.
In my judgment the safest and surest
remedy for the existing evils of an elec
tion system lies in the adoption of a
method of secret voting, whereby each
citizen can go to the polls and deposit his "
ballot without molestation or intimida
tion, and without being subjected to the
annoyances of modern electioneering
methods.
Tbe trouble is not so much in the num
ber of men allowed to vote, as in the im
pioper means employed on election day
to influence and control their votes.
When the “heelers” and “workers” who
now flourish and fatten on election day
are suppressed, and every man is allowed
to vote as he pleases, we may then hope
for purer elections.
Et W. J. Neel. ’
t ” ■■■Him-" . • ——-