The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1870-06-09
HoYT & CO., Proprietors'
Am Important Act of Congress.

The following is the full text of the Act to
enforce the fourteenth and fifteenth amend
ments, as it passed both Houses of Congress
AN ACT to enforce the right of citizens of
the United States to vote in the several
States of this Union, and for other pur-
poses.
BE 1t enacted by the Senate and House of
Representatives of the United States of Amer
lea, in Congress assembled: That all citizens
of the United States who are or shall be other
wise qualified by law to vote at any election by
the people, in any State, Territory, district,
county, city, parish, township, school district,
municipality, or other territorial subdivision,
shall be entitled and allowed to vote at all such
elections, without distinction of race, color, or
previous condition of seryitude; any constltu-
tion, law, custom, usage, or regulation OF any
State or Territory, or by or under its authority,
to the contrary notwithstanding.
SEc2 That if by or under the authority OF
theconstitution or laws of any State, or the
laws of any Territory, any act is or shall be re-
quired to be done as aprerequisite or quallt1ca-
ton for; voting, and by such constitution or
laws persons or officers are or shall be charged
with the performance of duties in furnishing
to citizens an opportunity to perform such pre-
requisite or to become qualified to vote, it shall
be the duty of every such person and officer to
give to all citizens of the United States the
same and equal opportunity to perform such
prerequisite, and to become qualified to vote
without distinction Of race, color, or previous
condition of servitude; and if any such person
or,oficer shall refuse or knowingly omit to give
full effect TO this section, he shall, for every
such offence, forfeit and pay the sum OF five
hundred dollars to the person aggrieyed there
by, to be recovered by an action on the case,
with full. costs and such allowance for counsel
fees as the court shall deem just, and shall, also,
for every such offence, be deemed guilty of a
misdemeanor, and SHALL on conviction thereof,
be fined not less than five hundred dollars, or
imprisoned not less than one month and not
more than one year, or both, at the discretion
of the court.
SEC. 3. That whenever, by or under the au-
thority of the constitution or law of any State,
or under the laws of any Territory, an act is or
shall be required to be done by any citizen as
a prerequisite to qualify or entitle him to vote
the offer of any such citizen to perform the act
required to be done as aforesaid shall, if it fail
to be carried into execution by reason of the
wrongful act or omission aforesaid of the per-
son OF officer charged with the duty of receiv-
ing CT permitting such performance, or offer to
perform or acting thereon, be deemed and held
as a performance in law of such act and the
person SO offering and failing as aforesaid, and
being otherwise qualified, shall be entitled to
vote in the same manner and to the same ex-
tent as if he had in fact performed such act !;
and any judge, inspector, or other officer OF
election whose duty IL is or shall be to receive,
count, certify register, report, or give effect to
the vote of any such citizen, or shall wrong
fully refuse or omit to receive, count, certify,
register, report or give effect to the vote OF such
citizen upon the presentation by him of his
affidavit, Stating such offer and the time and
place thereof, and the name of the officer or
person whose duty it was to act thereon, and
that he was wrongfully prevented by such per.
son or officer from performing such act shall
for every such offence forfeit and pay the sum
of five hundred dollars to the person aggrieved
thereby, to be recovered by an action on the
case, with full costs and such allowance for
counsel fees as the court shall deem just, and
shall also for every such offence be guilty OF
misdemeanor, and shall, on conviction thereof,
be fined not less than five hundred dollars, or
more than one year, or both, at the discretion
of the court.
Sec A. That if any person. by force, bribc-
~, threats, intimidation, or other unlawful
means, shall hinder, delay prevent, or obstruct,
or shall combine and confederate with others
to hinder, delay, prevent or obstruct, any citi-
zen from doing any act required to be done to
qualify him to vote or from voting;at any elec-
ton as aforesaid such person shall for every
such offence forfeit and pay the sum of five
hundred dollars to the person aggrieved there
by, to be recovered by an action on the case,
with full costs and such allowance for counsel
fees as the court shall deem just, and shall also
for every such offence be guilty of misde-
meanor, and shall, on conviction thereof, be
fined not less than FIVE hundred dollars, or be
imprisoned not less than one month and not
more than one year, or both at the discretion
of the court.
Sec 5. That if any person shall prevent,
hinder, control, or intimidate, or shall attempt
to prevent, hinder, control, or intimidate any
person from exercising or in exercising the
right of suffrage, to whom the right of suffrage
is secured or guaranteed by the fifteenth amend
ment to the Constitution of the United States
by means of bribery, threats or threats of de-
priying such person of employment or occupa-
ton or Of ejecting such person from rented
house, lands, or other property, or by threats of
refusing to renew leases or contracts for labor,
or by threats of violence to himself, or fami-
ly, such person SO offending shall be deemed
guilty of a misdemeanor, and shall, on convic-
tion thereof, be fined not less than five hundred
dollars, or be imprisoned not less than one
month, and not more than one year, or both,
at the discretion of the court.
SEC. g. That if two or more persons shall
band or conspire together, or go in disguise
upon the public highway, or upon the premises
of another, with intent to violate any provision
of this act, or to injure, oppress, threaten, or
intimidase any citizen with intent to prevent
,or hinder his free exercise and enjoyment of
any right or privilege granted or secured to
him by the Constitution or laws of the United
States, or because of his having exercised the
same such persons shall be guilty OF e9 felony, y
imprisoned, Or both, at the discretion of the
court-the fine not to exceed five thousand dol
lars, and the imprisonment not to exceed ten
years, and shall, moreover, be thereafter ineli-
gible to, and disabled from holding, any office
or place of honor, profit, or trust, created by
the Constitution or laws of the limited States