Belmont chronicle. [volume] (St. Clairsville, Ohio) 1855-1973, 1869-01-21
ARTICLE

..sa~f "a tssl ARTICLE a5Er %
|. SECTION l., The right of any citizen of
the United States to vote shall not be
denied or abridged by tie United States
or any State by reason of the race, color,
or previous condition of slavery of any
citizen or class OF citizens of the United
States. fi'''i1 ssi '-
SEC. 2. The Congress shall have power
to enforce by appropriate legislation the
provisions of this article.
A bill to secure equal privilege and i'm
mufiities to citizens of the United
States, and to enforce the provisions of
article fourteen of the amendments to
the Constitution. - ,-..
Be 1t enacted by the Senate and House
of Representatives of the United States of
Anaericd IN Congress assembled, That no
State shall abridge or deny the right of
any citizen of the United States to vote
for electors of President and Vice Presi-
dent OF. the United States, or for Repre-
sentatives in Congress, or for members
of the Legislature of the State in which
he may reside, by reason of race, color,
or previous condition of slavery; and
any provisions in the laws or COnstitu-
tion of any State inconsistent with this
section are hereby declared to be null
and void. slis-sa1s
y SEC. 2. And be ii. further enacted, That
every person lawfully engaged in pre-
pairing a registry of voters, or i'm holding
or conducting an election for any of the
officers named in the first section of this
act. who shall willfully refuse to register
the name, or to receive, count. return,
or otherwise give the proper legal effect
to the vote of any citizen entitled to vote
for any officer named in the first section
of this act, on account of race, color, or
previous condition of slavery ofsuch cit
izen, shall be punished by fine of not
more than four thousand dollars or by
imprisonment for not more than two
years. 7se i-
SEC. 8, And be ii further enacted, /! hat
any person who shall willfully hinder or
obsrruct. or attempt 10 hinder or obstrIfet,
any citizen on account of the race, color,
or the previous condition of slavery of
such citizen, i'm the exercise of his right
to vote for the officers named in the first
section of this act. shall be punished by
q fine of not more than three Thousand
dollars or by Imprisonment for not more
than one year. g
SEC. 4, And be it further enacted, That
any person disqualified by section three
or article fourteen of the amendments TO
the Constitution of the United States,
and from whom such disability shall not
have been removed by act of Congress,
who shall exercise the powers and duties
of any office therein specified, shall he
deemed guilty If a misdemeanor, and
being convicted thereof shall be impris-
oned and kept at hard labor at the term
of two years. and an Indictment for the
same may be found at any time within
ten years from the commission of the Of
fense. IS z,..5....s-..
sEC. 5, And be it further enacted, That
the District Courts of the United States,
within their resrective districts, shall
have exclusive jurisdiction of all offenses
committed against this act, and the
District Attorneys, Marshals and Deputy
Marsilals of the United States shall, and
they are hereby specially authsrized and
required, at the expense of the United
States. t. institute proceedings against
any person who shall violate the pro-
visions of this act s,- -1
No less than six Republican newspa-
per Offices have been destroyed by mObs
In Louisiana, and the proprietors of the
neiyhbOrinv Democratic Journals have