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4 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-" . • ——-