The Louisiana Democrat. [volume] (Alexandria, La.) 1845-1918, 1874-08-05
So mneh for. the expense Of registra-

ton under this law. v
BY sectien2 "a of the Act the Far
ish Supervisors are authorized 70 Sc
lect only three places of registration
in each Parish, if in their opinion /,
that number uill be sufficient, and to
choose such localities as they think
proper. The iniquity Of this provis-
ion is apparent from the fact that
the Supervisor is at liberty to select
only three places for registration and
he has the right to regulate the
length of his stay in each place.
Hence he can so arrange it that those
localities densely populated by color
cd y, voters can have all facilities for1
registering at their leisure, whereas
If the Supervisor chooses he can re-
main away from neighborhoods in
which white voters predomlnate'
thus compelling hundreds OF Our
white people to travel from twenty
to fifty miles in order to register, ana
then perhaps be crowded away from
the office by dense mass OF coloreo
people for days and weeks before
they can have an opportunity OF reg
istering.
In reference to the registration OF
voters of foreign birth, Section ~
provides that each applicant 'shall,
in addition to the proof of residence,
prove that be has been naturalized in
the United States, and the evidence
shall be his certificate Of naturallza-
: ton, together with She testimony OF
2 two citizens of his precinct, that ne
!, is the person named in the certiti-
f cate" ~hence i f any foreign born
q citizen has lost his naturalization pa
pers, he has no remedy and is de-
D prived Of the right to register and
t vote. He must, beside producing
s this certificate and testimony, an,
J. swer all questions that may be asked
8 concerning himself, on oath and te
n rhe satisfaction Of the Supervisor
J. The provisions Of The last two
IS Sections referred to. are certainly ar
re bitrary and oppressive, but tht
n, browning villainy of this disfranchi
,e sing scheme is found embraced il
S. Section 81 which provides that "th'
m Supervisor of Registration for eacl
II Parish shall carefully examine tn
7e registration books, andSif, upon du
of inquiry and investigation, he shall
III find the name or names of any per
ir son or.spersons therein not entitle
to to vote in his Parish at$the mex
election, he shall strike the name {
of every S such person therefrom, b
ey drawing a line in red ink through tn
nd same; that tie name of no perso
on snail be stricken from the registr:
er ton books in his absence except
IL 1.-THE testimony Of at least two respe'
IRE table citizens, and voters; that sue
We person is not {, resident Of the Pr
ct. cinct or Parish, or is otherwise di
lis qualified by law from voting ct sa
I'll election"
ap- Now we ask, can ampler pow
Id than this section confers, be place
in the hands of the Supervisor
nat disfranchise our citizens? Upon d.
ars inquiry he shall strike any vot
er- from the list. What is due inquir,
rar What evidence does the section re
per der necessary in order to authori
an the Supervisor to strike a name fre
I'm, the list of registered voters? MOI
'su- He is governed by his own swt
nts' will. Any evidence he thinks CO
he petent shall suffice to disfranchise
OF citizen. The full significance, he
per ever, of Section 81, wherein the
and pervisor is empowered to disfr'
INK chise any voter upon such evidel
city as he may deem competent, is fou
as in the provisions of Section 81, VIII
sets forth that "the decision of 8
r TO Supervisor or Assistant Supefvi
the of Registration on all questions
'ers, erasure from or additions to the
ne istry, and on all questions relative
s 10 the registry ofyoters, shall be fiji
be No Parish or District Judge shall
con- terfere by writ of injunction or IN
us damus, or other order of Court
asses compel any Supervisor or Assist
Supervisor of Registration to re-
gu ter, or prohibit him from register
f hei- any person; any Judge so inte1
Ear sing shall, npon conviction Their
be fined, imprisoned, etc. Car
'per- our white citizens read their polit
n at doom in the last two sectious at
lays, referred to. of this so-called Re