The Lake Charles echo. [volume] (Lake Charles, Parish of Calcasieu, La.) 1876-1898, 1894-06-29
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The subjecto of ballot reform has agi-
tatstl the people of this state for several
years. The necessity for a change in the
organic law of the state which shall
guarantee the purity of tho ballot has
tong been recognized. A constitutional
commission was appointed by the last
legislature to suggest amendments to the
state constitution, it being generally
understood that the suffrage question
vas the matter of primary importance.
The constitutional commission mskand
performed Its dnties and among other
things formulated a ballot reform pre-
vision which NhileR not entirely objection
able, was in the main a wise and con
seryatiye measure aad approved by the
people throughout the state,
The report Of the commission Oh the
suffrage question was referred by the
honse to the committee GIL elections and
suffrages, whose report reads as follows:
'tEvery male citizen of the United
States by birth or naturalization, who is
tweHty~one years old or upward. possess
| ing the following qualifications, shall
be an eleet0r to vote at any election by
the people, except as herein provided:
| ~. He shall be an actual resident Of
the state one wear next proceeding the
election at which he offers To vote
80. lie shall be an actual resident OF
| the parish in which he offers to vote ut
least six months next preceding the
election.
-. He's shall be an actual resident OF
the ward or precinct in which la offers
| 10 vote thirty days next preceding the
election.
| ~. He shall be a registered voter
-. He shall be an intelligent person,
understanding the principles of OHr
government, aud understand or interpret
the constitution of this state when read
30 him, OF shall be a bona fide owner OF
property, real or personal. located in the
state and assessed 10 him fol the veal
next preceding the election at a cash
( valuation of not less than 500"
Que Of the most important provisions
Of the amendment reported 10y the com
mission was that providing for the pay
ment Of a poll tax rs a necessary gualih
cation of every voter. This as will bC
seen, was eliminated entirely and instead
thereof, NC have section five [5l whlcl
reads as follows: "Ilc shall be an intel
ligent person, understanding the princi
pies OF our government, and understand
or interpret the constitution Of this stat,
when read to him. or shall b. Il J0nu Gd
owner Of property. real OF personal
located within the state and assessed t,
him, ut a cash valuation al not less thar
$500" Section is the obnoxious claus
to which We wish to call attention I'll
: w0uld-bc voter must either be able t.
read the constitution of the state or b
able to interpret the same when read /
him. When the would-bc voter comes T.
the polls who is to decide as to his quail
ticatioDs
The inference is that the election boar
is TO perform this function.
We LOW ask, readers, how many cleo
tors Of their own personal knowledge
have been able to properly enterpre
the constitution of the state of LOUIS
ana Is it not matter of fact that til
best jurists of this state and even til
Judges of the Supreme Court of til
United States have failed to enterpre
alike the State Constitution Yet thi
ability is to be made al essential to til
sight Of suffrage.
1t seems to us utterly at variance wit
all our ideas of free ballot that the OF
binary election feared should decid
upon the intelligent qualification u
r would.be voters.