Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1895-02-05

under the respective Offices. The voter
enters the booth and marks his ballot
without assistance: II unable 10 DO 'n's'
he may call one OF the managers or eIec-
ton 20 his aid. No time longer than hVe
minutes is allowed for voting. ana an
ignorant voter can tell the assistant the
way he wishes TO vote only when All
others have withdrawn from the poinns
place. In addition 20 this. the voter mas
in all cases to show hts certificate OF re-
eistration. The provision In regard 10
ignorant voters has been yariously inter-
preted in different localities. In some
cases the assistant r. allowed 10 marx the
ballot after the voter has expressed mere
~ his party preferences; In other cases
the voter Is required TO name each per-
son for whom he wishes TO vote. The pos
sbllities Of the latter requirement as an
intelligence test are obvious.
The Arkansas law OF 1891 IL very much
like that OF Alabama. and was one OF the
originals on which the latter was based
II requires no registration. but poll-tax
receipt instead. The names OF all the can
didates are printed on n general ticket
without regard TO party or alphabeticai
order, and these tickets are numbered AZ
voted, They can be obtained only from
the Judges OF election within the polling
place. The voter Is then required to re-
tire TO a booth, and Is allowed five min
utes to prepare his vote by scratching
erasing or crossing out all names not
wanted.
Mr.. Weeks says: mo one can help the
voter except the judges OF election. VINO
are of different political parties. III neees-
sary, the ignorant voter can can Two o,
these to his assistance. and they VIII
prepare his ballot for him; but before
he is allowed to tell them how he WISHES
TO vote II is necessary that all electors
including those in the booths. retire from
the polling room. In precincts where the'e
are more than one hundred voters the
races are required to vote alternately
1t may happen that In large negro pre-
cincts some are excluded for lack OF Time
but In no other way can hardship come
10 the negro Some ten or twelve counties
in the southern and eastern part OF the
state gave considerable trouble because
of their negro population. But this mas
been settled by the new law. An At
kansas official says that 1t virtually mus
from us the black cloud OF negro DONNA
ton" And again he says The law
works smoothly. quietly. Satisfactorily
beautifully. and / pray God every Sou'h-
ern State may soon have one ike IT,
Mr. Weeks says that Tennessee mas
made some advance toward the Austria
liam ballot, but the results are limited
because the law Of 1870 is made applicable
only to counties with 1900 Inhabitants
and to cities with 1900
The registration law of 1890 applies to
counties with 10000 inhabitants ana 10
towns, cities and civil districts OF -'"'
The registration certificate must tell the
name and color Of the elector, the waru
or district in which he resides and the
election in which he Is qualifed TO vote
and must be presented at the baIot-poH.
The law when put into operation Is not
essentially different from those OF AN
bama and Arkansas. except that there
is less provision for the ignorant voter
The registrar shall upon the demand
Of any voter give to such voter
a correct statement Of the order In
which the titles Of the various offices
TO he filed stand upon the particular
ballot furnished TO such voter.
with only this provision for aid ~ the
polls, and with stringent tax and regis
tration requirements. there Is niue
chance for the ignorant man..
Under the present law In Florida 1--WE
continue to quote from Mr.. Weeks, the
books for registration must be closed on
the second Saturday in September. Each
elector. on being registered, is furnished
with a certificate. numbered in each dis
trict consecutively. This must contain a
statement Of the full name. age, color
height. occupation. place of residence. and
nc nOfpra1 IN the
registration-b books. which certificate shall
be signed by the registration officer. -
No person is allowed to vote save in the
district in which he Is registered.
"Nor shall any person whose name
does not appear upon the registration
books be allowed 10 vote unless he pro-
duces and exhibits his certificate Of re-
gistratiOn 10 the managers OF election
and he shall not then be allowed TO vote
unless the certificate Of registration which
ne exhibits shall satisfactorily identify
him to the managers Of the election"
Mr.. Weeks is connected in a response
bic capacity with the United States Blu
reau q Education. He is in favor of
real ballot reform, and would have suf-
frage limited or restrained to some de-
gree by an educational or tax qualifca-
ton.
The extracts that we give from his
paper will furnish valuable Information
to our people, especially TO our good
friends in the black belt" to whom this
question Of suffrage is one Of al-engross-
ing Importance. We fail to see from Mr..
Weeks's investigations where any state
that has leglslated on this subject has de-
vised any better law than our Walton
law