St. Tammany farmer. [volume] (Covington, La.) 1874-current, 1898-06-04
The New Constitution
[Continued from last week.
PUBLIC ROADS.

have been already published in full
il the FARMER, 1t is only necessary
to state that the general object
sought to be obtained is to do away
with the Ineffective and burdensome
method Of working the public roads
by the compulsory labor of the
citizens, and to give the general
provisions.
| Under the new system the Police
Juries may have the roads worked
BY the contract system, or may
buy road machines and have the
work done under their own super
vision. When the Committee on
Internal Improvements had the
matter under consideration, they
found that in several of the parish
es the contract system had secured
good roads, and in others the
parishes had obtained good results
by buying their own road machines
and working the roads under the
supervision of officials appointed
by the Police Juries.
| Under the old system, the citi-
zens were required to work twelve
days each year, if the road over
seers saw fit to exact that amount
of work. The citizens of some
towns were exempt from all contri-
buttons to the roads, though they
were generally the ones most in
terested. Other towns were COM
PEELED to work their own streets
and also the public roads.
Now the citizens of the towns
that maintain their own streets
will be required to contribute one
mill per annum and tax upon all
vehicles and bicycles, not less than
twenty-five cents nor more than
one dollar per annum, and will be
exempted from the per capita tax.
Outside the towns there will be
a per capita tax of not more than
one dollar per annum upon each
able bodied male inhabitant be-
tween the ages Of eighteen and
] tifty-five years, and . tax upon all
! vehicles, the property tax not being
increased beyond the ten mills
allowed for parish purposes.
Persons sentenced to imprlson-
ment in Jail, or in the penitentiary
for a period not exceeding six
months, may be sentenced to work
on the public roads and bridges.
Persons who pay the tax and IL
censes, cannot be compelled 10
work on the public roads.
PENSIONS.
The Confederate Veterans IN in.
digent circumstances and unable to
earn livelihood, are allowed a
pension Of eight dollars per month.
This pension also applies to the
widows of such soldiers. If the
applicant enlisted in this State,
he must have resided here for five
years before applying for the pen
sion. If he enlisted in some other
State, he must have resided in this
State for fifteen years prior to his
, application. If the soldier lost
. his life prior to June l, 1865. from
wounds received, or disease con
tracted in the service, the widow
is entitled to the pension under The
same qualifications as to residence
The Soldiers Home, in new Or
leans, is also provided for at the
rate of one hundred and thirty dol.
lars per capita for each inmate,
and an additional sum Of one dol
lar per month is allowed each in
mate for his personal use.
SUFFRAGE.
So.much has already been writ.
ten.on this subject that it is un
} necessary to discuss it in detail
The practical effect is as follows
All white men who were of agt
on the day of the adoption Of thi:
Constitution, and were citizens Of
the United States, can register
prior to September i, 1898. Cit
zens Of foreign birth who wer'
naturalized prior to January l
1898, and who have been RESIDENT
Of this State for FIVE years prior t.
September !, 1898, may also regis
ter within the same time.
Colored persons who were al
lowed to vote in any State of ou
Union where they resided on Jan
l 1867, or the descendants of sucl
persons, who were Of age at thu
; date of the adoption Of this Con
stitution, can register within tn
same time. These persons do no
require the property or educationa
qualifications, and form a perma
nent roll Of voters.
All persons not embraced in the
foregoing provisions must hav'
en- f4;c;onf olucafinn ~ anahla them