The commonwealth. (Greenwood, Miss.) 1896-1923, 1898-01-21

ing Of the meaning Of the term
householder, it is hereby
declared that any person who shall
be in the occupancy of room or rooms,
separate and apart to himself, shall be
deemed a householder, and entitled to
vote at the annual and other meetings
of the said city; Provided that such oc
cupancy shall have existed six months
next preceding such election" Were
this explanatory enactment omitted it
would seem that to entitle person to
vote he should have been a freeholder,
a land holder and householder all
three conjointly, but it is apparent that
the legislature did not so intend, since
it is provided by the explanation that if
ne were house houlder alone, he would
be entitled to vote. The explanation
while directed at definition of
householder settles by indirection the
only doubt arising from the text sought
to be explained, but unfortunately the
proviso brought with it greater diff
Guilty than the explanation had removed
and that was whether other house
holders than those directed to be SO
deemed, We're required to have been
such for six months before Offering to
vote, The phraseology suggests legis,
lative amendments and indicates diff
ference of opinion as to who should be
intrusted to vote; but all seem to have
agreed upon permanent residence, an,
chorage to the soil as an essential quail
tication, the difference being as to rig
idity and extent to which it should be
carried The most notable thing about
this, the first legislative act of Missis-
sippi comforting the right of suffrage
is that no distinction is made because
of age, color or sex. Whether this
were by accident or design, and wheth-
er other persons than adult white males
really voted hereunder, does not ap.
pear.
By act of dongress, approved Jan. O.,
1903, the organic law so far as it relat
ed to Mississippi Territory, was amen.
ded so as to provide that every free
white male person in the Mississippi
territory above the age of 2l years hav,
ing been citizen of the United States,
and resident in the said territory one
year next proceeding an election Of
representatives, and who has a legal
or equitable title to tract of land by
virtue of any act Of congress, or who may
become the purchaser of any tract Of
land from the United States of the
quantity of fifty acres, or who may
hold in his own right town lot of the
value of one hundred dollars within the
said territory, shall be entitled to vote
for representatives to the general as
sembly of said territory.
The change just made in the suffrage
laws of the territory can be best ap
preciated by the use Of parallel col
umns.
Act of July 18th, 1's7,Act of January, 9th
| A person to votelWs:
hereunder must be person to vot
| l. Free. hereunder must be
| B. OF the age of twen- 9. Male.
ty-One years .. O!the age OF twel
L. A citizen OF thcty-one years
United States and a 1. citizen OF til
resident OF the terri-lC Cnited states and res
tory, or a resident forident OF the territor
two years In the terri one year next proceed
tory. and ling an election a
| / 4 free holder ofwhich he offers to vot'
6fty acres Of land in 5. The holder Of a l.
the district gal or equitable It'll
TO u tract OF land. b
virtue OF any act {
congress. or who ma
become the purchase
OF any tract OF Ian
from the lutte
states of the quantit
OF fifty acres. or VII
may own town lot {
the valnc of one hur
lred dollars With
the territory. and
5 White.
This act Of Congress, passed in 1905
first introduced the color line.
In 1911 municipalities were organ
lied by acts of the territorial legisla