Evening journal., 1896-12-19

ABOLITION OF THE COUNTY TAX
PROVISION FOR CAREFUL REG
IsTRArIoN FEES INSTEAD OF
THE PRESENT sYsTEM-AD-
JoURNMENT UNTIL AFTER THE
HOLIDAYS.
DOVER. Dec. 1S-The Stars and
Stripes will float over the State House
hereafter. during The sessions OF the
convention. IL was so ordered yester-
day upon a motion by Mr.. Bradford. A
more important step was report by
Mr.. Spruance, of the committee on
elections. on the franchise both as TO
the qualifications tor and the exercise
of it.. The report was made unani-
mously, although Chairman Hannum.
of the committee, was not there yester-
day. The whole intent OF the pro-
posed amendments. which are given be-
low in full. is to root out the twin evils
of yote-buying and disfranchising
voters by means of the tax collection
machinery.
ABOUT THE COUNTY TAX.
The payment Of county tax as
prerequisite for voting is to be done
away with, and in its place it is pro-
posed TO put registration fee to be
paid in the days Of registration. The
Democratic party has controlled this
state for twenty years practically by
the power which the assessors the
Levy Court and the collector OF taxes
have had over the qualification for vot-
ing. There will be no differences in
the convention over the abolition OF
the county tax as a qualification foi
voting. since the Republicans have
clamored for IL for many years. while
the Democrats find themselves at last
in position whore the whole tax ma
chinery is in the hands Of their oppO-
nents.
Section of this report is aimed at
the boodlers and bnbers. IL is taken
bodily from the Constitution of the
State OF New York. and is believed to
be a complete preventive Of this great
vice 1t. too. will receive a unanimous
support In this body since the Demo-
cratic members OF Il, no less than
their Republican associates. are very
anxious TO find some way of checking
the peculiar methods of late practiced
The requirements of a three months
residence in the county and of thirty
days in the district will not meet with
the approval of the voters OF Whining
ton. The present requirements are
thirty days In the county and fifteen
days in the district and even now
many voters lose the chance to vote be-
cause of compulsory removals.
ELECTION LAW REPORT
The committee on elections reported
as follows:
Strike out the part of the third para
graph of section /. of article w, OF the
Constitution beginning with the words
''and in" and ending with the words
amy tax" and insert in lieu thereof
The following:
Every male citizen of the United
States of the age of 81 years. who shall
have been a citizen for three months
and resident Of this state one year
next preceding. an election. and for the
last three months a resident of the
county, and for the last thirty days a
resident of the hundred or election dis
trict in which he may offer to vote.
shall be entitled to vote at such cleo
tlon in the hundred or election district
OF which he shall at the time be resi-
dent for all officers that now are or
hereafter may be elected by the people
and upon all questions which may be
submitted TO the vote of the people.
Insert next, after section /. of article
~. the following:
Section 2. No person who shall re-
ceive, accept or offer TO receive or pay
offer or promise 20 pay, contribute
offer or promise to contribute to an
other. to be paid or used. any money
or other valuable thing as "a cOmpen-
sation or reward for the giving OF
withholding a vote at an election. oI
who shall make any promise TO inhu-
ence the giving or Withholding any
such vote. or who shall make or be-
come directly or indirectly interested
In any bet or wager depending upon
the result of an election, shall vote al
such election; and upon challenge fol
any of said causes, the person so chal
lenged. before the Officers authorized
for that purpose shall receive his vote
shall swear or affirm. before such Off
GERS. that he has not received or offered
does not expect to receive. has no
paid, offered on promised to pay. con
trihuted, offered or promised to con
tribute TO another. TO be paid or used
any money or other valuable thing as
compensation OF reward for the givinl
or Withholding a vote az such election
and has not made any promise TO in
iiuence the giving or Withholding O
any such vote. nor made or become di
rectly or indirectly interested in an
bet or wager depending upon the resul
of such election.
Section g. The General Assemble
shall provide by law for uniform
registration OF the names of all tn
voters in this state who possess tn
qualifications prescribed in this article
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