St. Tammany farmer. [volume] (Covington, La.) 1874-current, 1900-06-09

Article 1913 that that part Of it re-
quiring the voter to be possessed of
two poll tax receipts obtained in
due manner and form before enti-
thing him to vote, was to take effect
only after the general State cleo
ton Of 1900, because such is stated
IN unmistakable terms. That it
was also intended that the paying
of the poll tax should begin imme-
diately upon the adoption Of the
Constitution is evident, or else
why was the article, or any part Of
the article, suspended in its opera
ton for two years if it was not to
enable the voters to arm themselves
with the proper instruments, 80 as
to be qualified when the time should
come demanding the receipts be.
fore allowing them to vote?
1t may be contended that the last
clause of the article explicitly states
that: "This section shall not 60
into operation until after the gen
eral State election to be held in
the year 1900, etc.," and therefore
means that the operation of the
entire article Is suspended until
such time. Of course, with all due
respect to the authors of the arti-
Gle, we must say that this clause is
defective in the extreme. But
when the entire article is consid-
cred the intent becomes SO obvious
that it draws from the ambiguous
clause the legislative and true
meaning. 1t was really intended
10 mean as follows: That part of
this section imposing a poll tax
shall take effect Immediately upon
the adoption of this Constitution;
but SO much Of it that requires the
voter to be possessed of two poll
tax receipts before emitting him to
vote shall not 90 into operation un-
til after the general State election
to be held in the year 1900, etc.
That it was intended that the
paying of the tax should begin inn
mediately upon the adoption Of the
Constitution is evident in these
words of the article: "The pro
Visions of this section as to the
payment Of poll taxes shall not ap-
ply to persons under twenty-three
years uf age who have paid all poll
taxes assessed against them"
These words surely mean that a
voter becoming twenty-three years
of age at any time after the gen.
eral State election of 1900 must
have obtained in a lawful manner
the two receipts or certificates &C.
fore he can be allowed to vote.
These words also go to prove that
the paying Of the tax was to begin
immediately upon the adoption OF
the Constitution, because of the
fact that persons under twenty
three years of age are not required
to have paid two years poll tax,
but in the words of the article,
swho have paid all poll taxes as
sessed against him." could be but
for one year under the law. Is it
not plain that by making the limit
twenty three years It was intended
to allow those voters who were just
twenty -one years of age at the time
of the adoption of the Constitution
Qs9s) enough time to prepare
themselves by obtaining the re-
ceipts or certificates in the two
years that were to pass before the
same should be demanded of them
At any election after the general
one of 1906? Is It not also plain
that the fact of voters under TWEEN
ty.oae years of age not being re-
quired to have paid two years tax,
but .swho have paid all poll taxes
assessed against them," does this
not show that it was intended to
insure the right of suffrage to those
citizens who should reach the age
of twenty-one years at any time
during the two years that were to
pass between the adoption of the
Constitution and the going into op-
Grafton of so much of the article as
provides for the having paid the
tax.
All will agree that it is certain
that the law was to 90 into opera.
ton some time, and it is equally
certain that the paying Of the tax
was to begin At some time. There
fore, common sense would seem to
dictate that the paying Of the tar
was to begin as soon as possible, be-
cause the delay of same for two
years would have been ridiculous.
The provision requiring the voter
to have paid two years poll tax in
order to vote could not have gone
into operation Immediately upon
the adoption of the Constitution,
because such would have been de-
priving the citizen of his rights
without due process of law, as
there was no way of him paying
the said tax IN conformity with the
law.
The premises considered, We
have the conclusion: That after
the general State election OF the
year 1900 any person between
twenty three and sixty years of age
must have paid two years poll tax,
in conformity with the law, in or
der to be allowed to vote at any
election IN the State. That any
person between twenty-one and
twenty-three years of age is emit
tied to vote at any election in the
the State, provided he has paid all
poll taxes that we're assessed agains,
him. CHAs. DENEGRE.