The Opelousas courier., 1898-03-12

| Every male person OF the age of twenty ,One
| years and upwards, and who at the time of Of
ferng to vote, shall be a citizen OF the United
States, and who shall have resided and had
| his habItatlon and home as citizen of Louisi-
ana III Louisiana, for one year next proceed
ing the election at which he offers to vote, six
| months Ill the parish and one month i'll the
| precinct next preceding the election ut which
| he offers to vote, shall be an eector and enti-
tied to vote at any general election in the State
OF Louisiana, PfOrided: That no soldier, sea
man, or marine, in the regular army of the
United States, unless he be an elector of the
State previous to his enlistment as soldier,
| seaman or marine, in the regular army or the
navy of the United States or Of the Revenue
| service, shall be considered a resident or Lou
lsiana, in consequence of being stationed in
| the State.
And prorided, further: That every elector
shall be able to read the Constitution OF Lou
lslana In print, i'll his mother tongue, Or shall
own property, situated in Louisiana, to the
value OF one hundred dollars, to be made ar
parent by the tax roll OF the parish in which lie
offers to vote; or whose wife, from whom he
De not separated by abandonment, or his le-
gitmate children, shall own property in the
State to the value OF one hundred dollars to
be made apparent 10y the tax roll of the par
ish in Which he offers to vote, or he shall have
paid ~ poll tax, six months before Offering
to vote to be proven by his receipt therefor. a
The following persons shall not be allowed
to vote, nor to hold any office under the laws
of Louisiana, to-wiu; those found guilty of
treason. .iembezzlement of public funds NAL
feasanca in office, larceny, bribery of voters.
illegal VI ling, stutting Of ballot boxes, substi
tuting ballots, throwing out ballots poed by
electors at any election authorized by law to
he holden, nor Of destroying ballots after they
nave been polled, nor any other crime punish
able by hard labor in the penitentiary idiots
and persons pronounced insane by a Court OF
competent jurisdiction.
No qualification Of any kind for suffrage or
office. nor any restraint upon the same, on ac-
count OF color OF previous condition of servi-
tude shall be made by law.
registrar OF voters shall be appointed by
the Governor by and with the advice and con
sent of the Senate, for each parish in the State,
who shall register all the electors or voters
presenting themselves for registration The
cordance with laws of the General Assembly
regulating their duties and functions, within
four mouths from the date OF their qualitiea
tons. he books of registration, shall then be
deposited with the Recorder Of Mortgages |
who shall keep them open to inspection and |
who shall also register all such electors as may
thereafter apply for registration and possess |
ing the constitutional qualifications. To this |
end he shall be authorized to administer tile |
following OATH !
e., do solemnly swear that have new.
er bribed, nor indirectly tried to bribe voter |
or voters at any election held by the electors |
of Louisiana, that have never been guilty of |
treason, or OF embezzlement of public funds, |
or OF malfeasance in office, Of larceny, nor
of illegal voting or of stutfing ballot box nor
of substituting ballots, nor OF throwing out or
destroying ballots polled by an elector or cleo
holden, nor of any other crime, punishable by
hard labor in the penitentiary, and I further |
swear that will not commit any or either of |
said offenses, that 1 will as commissioner of
election, hold and conduct this election hon
estly according to law, and make true and |
faithful returns thereof, to the best of my
ability and understanding, so help me God.
1n the ovent of war with Spain we do
not see how our immediate section can
suffer much from the effects Of it, unless
The price of cotton decline. We will
endure nothing like the hardshps we
suffered during the war between the
States. Only a small portion of our
population will be called upon to join
he army, the fighting will be done on
he ocean and probubly along the sea
coast. There will not be much danger
If an invasion Of the interior of our
State, for no Spanish army can getaway
rom the coast, should one effect land
ng.