The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1894-11-07
MIssIssIPPps CONSTITUTION.

MIssIssIPPrs CONSTITUTION.
Salient Provisioas of An Organic Instru-
ment oontaininE as5 Sections.
The new constitution of Mississippi,
adopted November 1, 1890. contains
285 sections. The most inter esting
one Is that regulating the franchise.
1t provides that all elections by the
people shall be by ballot. Tne quail.
| fications Of voter are that he must
have been resident Of the State for
two years and Of the election district
or incorporated city or town In which
be offers to vote for one year, that he
is duly registered. that he has never
been convicted Of bribery, burglary,
theft, arson, obtaining money or goods
under false pretenses, perjury, forgery,
embezzlement or bigamy, and that
he 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 beeH legally required Of him,
and which he has had an opportunity
of paying according to law, for the two
preceding years, and shall furnish sat-
isfactory evidence to tho officers hold
ing the election that he has paid said
taxes. Ministers In charge Of an or
ganlzed church shall be entitled to vote
after six months residence In the cleo
tion district, If otherwise qualified. A
uniform poll tax of two dollars is i'm
posed on every male inhabitant of the
State between twenty one and sixty, to
be used In aid of the public schools.
Deaf, dumb, blind persons and those
manned by loss Of hand or foot are ex-
empt from poll tax.
In addition to the foregoing qualif-
cations every elector shall be able to
read any section Of tba constitution of
the State, or ne shall ID able to under
stand the same when read to him, or
give reasonable Interpretation thereof.
Registration Is declared to be an es-
sential and necessary qualification to
vote at any and all elections. All elec-
tion officers are to hold Office for terms
Of four years. The Governor Is ineli-
gible to immediate reelection for q
second term.
The election ordinance provides that
the ballots shall contain the names Of
all candidates who have been put In
nomination not less than fifteen days
previous to the day Of election. The
printer shall be sworn, under penalties
of law, to keep secret said ballots. The
size, print and quality of the ballots
shall be left to the sound judgment OF
the officers charged with printing said
ballots.
| For the elections the Sheriff Of each
county shall procure sufficient num-
Der OF voting compartments, shelves
and tables for the use of electors,
which shall be 80 arranged that 1t
shall be impossible for one voter at
one table, shelf or compartment to see
another voter who Is preparing his
ballot: The number of such voting
shelves, tables'or compartments shall
not be less than one for every hum
dred electors at each voting precinct.
Each shelf, table and compartment
shall be kept furnished with q card Of
instruction posted In each comprat.
ment and have proper supplies and
conveniences for marking the ballots.
The deputy commissioners of elec-
ton having the official ballot In
charge shall remain at a place conve.
nient to the tables, shelves and com.
partments, and when requested by
each Of the voters shall hand him an
official ballot. On receiving 1t the v0.
ter shall 90 into one Of the compart-
ments and prepare his ballot by mark
Ing with ink, In fhe appropriate mar
gin or place, q cross Q) opposite the
name Of the candidate Of his choice
for each Office to be filled. Before
leaving the compartment the voter
shall fold his ballot without displaying
the marks thereon and then cast 1t IN
the manner provided by law.
He can take ten minutes to prepare
his ballot If other voters are not wait.
ing, but not longer than five minutes
| If others are waiting. No ballots can
be taken from the polling place before
the close of the polls. Blind persons
are to bs helped by the person
or persons having the official bal.
lots in caargs. IT more Names are
marked than there are persons to be
elected the ballet will not be counted.
AS to ducation, is made the duty
of the Legislature to establish uni
form system of free public schools by
taxation or otherwise for all children
bet tween i've and twenty-one years,
and, as soon as practicable, to estsb-
lish schools of higher grades. Tne
common school fund shall consist of
the poll tax and an additional sum
from the general fund 10 the State
treasury sufficient to maintain the
common schools for the term Of four
months in each scholastic year. But
any county or separate school dis
trict may levy an additional tax to
maintain its schools for a longer time
than the four months term. A pub.
lie school shall be maintained In each
scnooI district in the county at least
| four months during each scholastic
year. Separate schools shall be main
tained for children of the white and
colored schools.
| Georgis's New Senator.
| ATLANTA, Ca, Nov. 1.-The Demo-
1 oF ho fNoOrn1Q NanarQI