The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1900-07-31
THE AMENDED AMENDMENT
Change Made In the Constitutional
Amendment at the Recent Session
1.-THE legislature.

An act supplemental 10 an act enti-
tied IAN act to amend the constitution
Of North Carolina" ratified February
list. 1899. the same being Chapter two.
hundred and eighteen OF rhe public
laws OF 1889.
The General Assembly of North Caro-
lima do enact:
Section I. That chapter siS, public
laws OF 1899, entitled. "an act TO amend
the constitution OF North Carolina"
be amended so as 10 make said act
read as follows:
That article VI OF the constitution
Of North Carolina be. and the same is
hereby abragated. and in lieu thereof
shall be substituted the following ar
ticle Of said constitution. as an entire.
and indivisible plan OF suffrage"
ARTICLE VI.
SUFFRAGE AND ELIGIBILITY TO
OFFICE.
Section 1. Every male person born
in the United States. and every male
person who has been naturalizet
twenty-one years OF age, and possess
ing the qualifications set out in this
article, shall be entitled to vote at any
election by the people in the state, eX,
cept as herein otherwise provided.
Sec. =. He shall have resided in the
state Of North Carolina for two years,
in the county six months, and in the
p ecinct, ward or other election district
in which he offers to vote, four months
next preceding the election; Provided.
That removal from n precinct, ward
or ether election district to another in
the same county, shall not operate 10
deprive any person Of the right to vote
in the precinct, ward or other election
district from which ne has removed,
until o months after such removal.
No person who has been convicted. or
who has confessed his guilt in open
court upon indictment Of n crime the
punishment OF which now is. or may
hereafter be, imprisonment in the
states prison, shall be permitted TO
vote. unless said person shall be first
restored to citizenship in the
prescribed by law.
Sec. 3. Every person Offering to
vote shall be at the time a legally reg
istered voter as herein prescribed
and in the manner hereafter provided
by law and the general assembly of
North Carolina shall enact general
registration laws to carry into effect
the provisions of this article.
Sec. 4. Every person presenting him.
self for registration shall be able to
rea n write any section of the con-
stitution in the English language; and,
before he shall be entitled to vote. he
shall have paid on or before first day
of May Of the year in which he pro-
poses to vote his poll tax for the pre-
ViouS year as prescribed by article .,
section 1, Of the constitution. But no
male person who was, on January l,
1867, or at any time prior thereto, en-
titled to vote under the laws of any
state in the United States wherein he
then resided, and no lineal descendant
of any such person hall be denied the
right to register and vote at any cleo
ton in this state by reason Of his fail
ure to possess the educational qualif-
cation herein prescribed, provided he
shall have registered in accordance
with the terms of this section prior to
December l, 1908. The general assem-
bly, shall provide for registration Of al
persons entitled to vote without the ed
vocational qualifications herein pre-
Scribed, and shall On or before Novem-
Der l, 1908, provide for the making OF a
permanent record of Such registration
and all persons so registered shall for
ever thereafter have the right to vote
in all elections by the people in this
state, unless disqualified under section
2 of this article, provided such person
shall have paid his poll tax as above
required.
Sec. 5. That this amendment to the
constitution is presented and adopted
as one indivisible plan for the regula-
ton of the suffrage with the intent
and urpose to SO connect the differ
ent parts and to make them so depen.
dent upon each other that the whole
shall stand or fall together.
Sec. 6. All elections by the people
shall be by ballot, and all elections by
the general assembly shall be viva
voce.
Sec. Z. Every voter in North Caro-.
lima, except as in this article disqual-
flied, shall be eligible to office, but be-
fore entering upon the duties of tht
office he shall take and subscribe tn,
following oath:
do solemnly sweal
Cor affirm that 1 will support AM
maintain the constitution and law!
Of the United States, and the constitu
ton and laws of North Carolina no
faithfully discharge the duties of m.
office as So help m,
God"
Sec. 8. The following classes of per
sons shall be disqualified for office
First, all persons who shall deny th'
being of Almighty God. Second, al
persons who shall ave beer convicted
or confessed their guilt on indictmen
pending, and whether sentenced or no
under judgment suspended, of an,
treason or felony, or any other Grim,
for which the punishment may be i'm
prisonment in the penitentiary, since
becoming citizens of the United States
or of corruption or malpractice in office
unless such person shall be restored
to the rights of citizenship in a name
prescribed by law
Sec. 9. That this amendment of tn
constitution shall go into effect On tn
first day of July, nineteen hundred AM
two, if a majority of the votes cas-
at the next general election shall b.
cast in favor of the suffrage amend
ment.
Sec. II. This amendment to the con
stitution shall be submitted at the mex
general election TO b qualified vot
ers Of the state in the same name
Int under the same rules and regula