The Brookhaven leader. [volume] (Brookhaven, Miss.) 1883-1891, 1891-01-08
THE FRANCHISE.
THE NEW QUALIFICATIONS
FOR VOTERS.
4 NEW REGISTRATIoN REQUIRED,
AND THE LAWS GOVERNING
THE SAME.
The Nan Who Expects tO Vote
in 1891 Must Pay all Tax
es on or Before Feb. 1.
Prompt Action Required by
Boards of Supervisors and
Circuit Clerks.
\ Clear and Comprehensive Ex-
position of the Entire
Subject.

ne new lPSUIHtIbHS SVNtIHihS wv
elective franchise and registration are
worthy Of special consideration at this
time.
Section 241. of the new Constitution
provides that "evcry male inhabitant
of this state, except idiots, insane per
sons and Indians not taxed, who Is a
citizen of the United States, 81 years
old and upwards, who has resided in
the State two years, and one year in
the election district or in the incOrpo-
rated city OF town in which he offers
to vote, and who is duly register
ed as provided in this article,
and who has never been convict
ed of bribery, burglary, theft, arson,
obtaining money or goods under false
prctenses. perjury, forgery, embezzle-
ment or bigamy. and who has paid on
or before the first day of February of
the year in which he shall offer to
vote. all taxes which may have been
legally required of him, aud which
he has had an opportunity of paying
according to law for the two preced-
ing wears, and who shall produce to
the officers holding the election salts
factory evideace that he has paid
said taxes, is declared to be II quail
fed elcctor."
Section 249 provides that ono one
shall be allowed to vctc for
members Of the Legislature or
other officers of this State who
has not been duly registered under
the constitution and laws of this State
by an officer of this State legally au
tholizcd to register the voters thereof;
and registration under the constitu-
ton and laws of this State by the
proper officers of this State is hereby
declared to he an essential and neces-
sary qualification to vote at any and
all elections"
Section 251 provides that collectors
shall not be registered within
four months next before any
election at which they may offer
to vote. but appeals may be
heard and revision take place at any
time prior to the election, and no per
son who in respect to age and resi-
dcnce woUld become entitled to vote
within the next four months shall he
excluded from registration on account
of his want of said qualifications at
the time of registration.
Section 3 Of the ordinance extend
ing the terms of State officers pro-
vidts that "a general election shall be
first Tuesday after the first Monday
in November, 1891, for three railroad
commissioners, and for members of
the legislature, district attorneys, and
county and district officers, whose
terms shall expire on the first Monday
in January, 1896.
Section 4 of said ordinance pro-
yides that ''there shall he a registra-
ton of the electors qualified under
such provisions of this Constitution.
which are operative prior to the elcc-
ton in 1891, and such registration
shall be made by the proper officers,
and i'll the manner now prescribed by
! law, when the same is not mconsst-
ent with the provisions of the Consti-
tuition operative as aforesaid, and
when repugnant then according to
! the provisions thereof. The Board of
Supervisors of the several counties
shallprovide proper registration books
with the oath required by Section 242
of this Constitution"
Under the schedule to the new Con
stitutiOn all ordinances went into ef-
feet at the time of adoption of the
Constitution, and the article on fran
chise on January l, 1891, which in
cludes all of the above quoted provi-
sons and all laws repugnant thereto
were repealed.
I From this we learn a. that there is
to be ii general election this year; (2)
what are the qualifications for elec-
tors; (3) that a new registration is re-
quired; az that all voters must he
registered at least four months before
the election at winch they offer to
vote; (5l that the same registration
and election officers must serve as now
provided by law, except in so far as
existing laws are ''repugnant' to the
new Constitution and ordinances ;
and icy that it is made the duty of
Boards of Supervisors to provide new
registration books in each county con-
tanning the prescribed oath.
Tie oath prescribed is found
in Section 242 and reads thus
81, , do solemnly swear
Tor affirm) that am twenty
one years old Tor l will be before the
next election in this county,, aud that
will have resided in this State
two years and in cleo
ton district of -- county one
year next preceding the ensu-
ing election Tor if a minister of the