The progressive farmer. [volume] (Winston, N.C.) 1886-1904, 1899-05-09
THE PROPOSED -ONSTITU--
TIONAL AMENDMENT,

B9lleVlDg GnaG no more important
measure has been before the people of
North Carolina for a score Of years. we
give in full herewith the proposed Con
stitutional amendment, which we ex
pect to keep standing until the election
IN August of next year. 1t is not nee
essary for US to say that it should be
carefully considered and that the voter
should not allow prejudice to il fuence
him in deciding whether or not he will
support it. The amendment reads as
follows:
That article VI of the Constitution
of North Crolina be, and the same is
hereby repealed, aud in lieu thereof
shall be substituted the following ar
ticle of said Constitution:
ARTICLE vi.
Section 1 Every male person born
in the United States and every male
person who has been naturaIizad, 81
years of age and possessing the quaiii
cations set out in this article, shall be
entitled to vote at any election by the
people in the State, except as herein
otherwise provided.
Section 2 He shall have resided in
the State of North Carolina for two
years, in the county six months, and in
the precinct, ward or other district in
which he offers to vote, four months
next preceding the elec lion: Provided,
That removal from n precinct, ward
or other election district, to another in
the same county, shall not operate to
deprive any person Of che right to vote
in the precinct, ward or other election
district, from which he has removed
until four months after such removal.
No person who has been convict ed or
who has con. essed his guilt in open
court upon indictment, Of any crime,
the punishment of which now ia or
may hereafter be, imprisonment in the
State prison, shall be permitted to vote
unless the said person shall be first re
stored to citizenship in the manner
prescribed by law.
Section 8. Every person off ring to
vote shall be at the time a legally regis
tered voter as herein prescribed and in
the manne hereafter provided by law,
and the General Assembly of North
Carolina shall enact general registra-
ton laws to carry into effect the pro
visions Of this article.
Section 4. Any person presenting
himself for registration or voting shall
be able to read and write any part of
the Constitution in the English Ian
gusge, aud shall have paid by the first
day Of March the poll tax for the pre-
vious calendar year, as prescribed by
law, and shall exhibit the receipt there
for when he offers to vote. Poll taxes
ehall be a lien only on assessed prop
erty, and no process shall issue to en-
force the collecti IN OF the same except
against assessed property.
Sectiou 8. No male person, who was
on January 1, 1867, or at any time
prior thereto, entitled to vote under the
laws Of any State 10 the United States
wherein he then resided, and no lineal
descendant Of any such person, shall
be denied the right to register and vote
at any election in this State by reason
of his failure to possess the educational
qualification prescribed in section 4 of
this Article: Provided, He shall have
registered in accordance with the terms
of this Article prior to December l,
1908, and no person shall be entitled to
register under this section after that
date.
The General Assembly shall, at its
first session after the adoption Of this
amendment, provide the manner il
which the classes of persons provided
for in this section shall register.
Section 6 Al elections by the people
shall be by ballot, and ali elections by
the General Assembly shall be viva
voce.
Saction7 Every voter 10 North Caro-
lima, except as in this Article disquaIi
fed, shall be eligible to office, but be-
fore entering upon the duties of the
Office he shall take and subscribe the
following OATH; Il, ---, do SOL
emily swear or effrm, that I will sup
port and maintain the Constitution and
laws of the United States and the Con-
stitu lion and laws of North Carolina,
not Inconsistent Herewith, and that I
will faithfully discharge the duties of
my Office as ----. So help me
GID"
Section 8. The follow wing classes of
persons shall be disqualified for cmce: