The Elk County advocate. [volume] (Ridgway, Pa.) 1868-1883, 1872-10-17

power 10 enforce thls article by approprl- I
ate legislation.
And chereds, The Congress of the
United States, on the 31st of March
1870, passed an act entitled, Gan act
to enforce the right of citizens of the
United States to vote in the several
States OF the Union, and for other
purposes" the first and second sections
of which are as follows:
SECTION 1. BE it enacted by the
Senate and House of Representatives of
the United States of America in Con-
gress assembled. That all citizens
of the United States who are or
-sball be otherwise qualified to vote at
any election by the people of any State,
Territory, district, city, county, parish,
township, school district, municipality, or
other territorial subvisioD shall be entitled |
and allowed to vote at all such elections,
without distinction of color, race, or
previous condition Of servitude any con-
stitution, law, custom, usage, or regula-
ton of any State or territory, or by or
under its authority, to the contrary,
uUbN
Sec. 2. And be IL further enacted
That if, by or under the constitution or
laws of any State or the laws of any ter
ritory, any act is or shall be required to
be done as prerequisite or qualification
for voting and by euch 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 prerequisites, or to become
qualified to vote it shall be the duty OF
every such person aud officer to give 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; aud if
any such persons or officers shall refuse,
or knowingly omit to give full effect to
this section, he shall for every such of.
fence, forfeit and pay the sum of five
hundred dollars, to the persons aggrieved
thereby, to be recovered by an action on
the case, with full costs and such a low
ance for counsel fees as the court shall
deem Just, and shall also for every such
offence be deemed guilty OF misdeineau.
or, an6 shall on conviction thereof be
fined not less than five hundred dollars
or to be imprisoned not less than one
month aud not more than one year, or
both. at the discretion of the court.
And Whereas, 1t is declared by the
secnod section of the VI article Of the
Constitution of the United States, that
"This Constitution of the United States
which shall be made in pursuance thereof
shall be the supreme law of the land
* anything in the Constitution on
: lars Of any State, to the contrary, not
/, 'chhstondinJ."
And rhcreus, The Legislature Of this
Commonwealth, Gu the 9th day of Apri
e 1870, passed an act entitled "a iurthel
t supplement to the act relating to elec
tiJns IN this Commonwealth" the l0tt
, section provides as follows:
f SECTION TO- That so much of every
, act of Assembly as provides that onl,
: white freemen shall be entitled to vote
/: TO vote at any general or special election
j of this Commonwealth, be and the saw
is hereby repealed, and that hcreafe
), all freemen without distinction of color
d shall be enrolled and registered accord
n ing to the provisions of the first section
Il of the act approved the l7th of April
r 1869, entitled, An act further supple
q mental to an act relative to the election
OF this Commonwealth" and snail wher
+. otherwise qualified under existing laws
j. be entitled to vote at all general ant
o special elections in this Commonwealth
! No person shall be permitted to vot
s whose name is not contained in the lis
Y OF taxable inhabitants furnished by tn
o Commissioners, unless he first produce
e receipt for the payment within tw
n years, Of State or County tax, assess 4
v agreeably 10 the Constitution, and civ
e satisfactory evidence either on his ow
e oath or affirmation Of another that h
l. has paid such taz, or Oh failure to Pre-
is duce such receipt shall make oath OF tn
II payment thereof; it he claims to vote b
e being an elector between the ages c
twenty-One aud twenty-five years h
E shall depose on oath or affirmation thu
- he has resided in the State at least on
~ - year before his application, and max
= proof of his residence within his distriC
- as required by the act, and that he doe
- verify believe from accounts given hin
- that he is OF the aye aforesaid and Civ
:, such other evidence as is required b
u TIE act whereupon the name OF the pc
son so admitted to vote shall be regi
Id tered in the alphabetical list by the il
OF spector, and a note made opposite ther
'h 20 by the word ''tax." it he shall hay
G. been admitted to vote by reason Of ha
p ing paid tax, or the word "age" if }
iS shall have been admitted to vote |
reason of age, shall be called out to IL
te clerks, who shall make like notes in IL
tie list kept by them
rs In all cases where the name of person
lis claiming to vote is found on the list fu
&C, nished by the Commissioners and A
at SCISSORS, and his right to vote wheth
1G found thereon or not, is objected by al
ID qualified citizen, it shall be the Inspe
We tors duty to examine such persons {
re oath as to his qualifications, and if
ea claims to have resided within the Sta
IL, for one year or more, his oath shall n