The Montgomery advertiser., 1901-11-03
Of the New Constitution Explained in Brief.

on the End inst telegraphed Hon. Sydney
 ]. Bowie. Chairman of the Democratic
 Campaign Committee or this county as
 follows: o.4 Q ,oo,
 'Very few negroes registered in this
 State. All of the whites are reglstereo'
 No complaint againts our elections sttSInsv
 Like causes produce like effects, and
 no white man now entitled to vote. and
 TO V hite child in ths future has any
 cause for apprehension with reference
 The opponents of the new Consultation
 charge that boys coming on in the Iu.
 ture must be able to read and write ana
 property. Attention is called to the fact
 that this is not true. If he Is able 10 cad and write or if he pays taxes on
 this amount of property, he can vo.e. 1t is only necessary to have one Of these qualifications.
 1t is charged that registrars have a discretion as to who thes will register. cry man possessing either of the. quail | fcations named. Every State In the | Union. including this State. has sys-
 tenn of registration. The registrar nas | no more power under the new Constitu- l ton than under the present law, ana we
 have never heard of any person, enu | tied to registration under tne present | law, being denied 1t. Indeed, the rIgnt | of the voter Is better protected under
 tha new Constitution, if additional pro- | tection were needed, than under the ex-
 isting law, since provision IS nhee 1he ra0r sor
 istrar without bond to a Jury, m case Y l person applying for registrauon IS Is | fused. No right or appear exists ..ss uuuea | the present law, nor has one been round necessary but 1t Is given as an adol-
 tional precaution in the new Constitu- ton.
 The registration feature of the new
 Constitution is in force only next year.
 All subsequent registrations must pc
 provided for by the Legislature. Ine sole purpose for proVlulng TOT the Gar-
 porary registration next year in the Con
 stitution was to save the necessity or an
 extra session of the Legislature; t reg istration had not been provided Tor. an
 cos. of probably forty thousand dollars.
 would have been necessary. That extra
 session would have provided Tor resis-
 does and there is no probability that the plan of registration devised oy the Les
 islature would have been wiser or Iairsr
 than that devised by the new Consutuuss ton. In either case registration Wouio have to be made by men Of somepooy appointment. It has been said by one of our most distinguished men that: "In nearly all the States the rlgnt 70 vota at elections is made to depend upon a previous registration made 6y oIncerS @ | appointed according to law: Inls ple- pss.-
 caution is really vital to the soNetea1"
 
 Fraudulent registration under the new | Constitution by registrars, Is prohDnteo- under a penalty of from one to nve years | in the penitentiary. The list Is requlreo | to be filed in the office of the Judge oL | Probate of each county, by the lrst gay | of February. 1903, or as soon thereaIter as practicable, and in the office or Sec reary of State by the first day of March | I913 or as soon thereafter as. practicabie= and the Legislature is required to pro vide for purging the list of all who. may | have been fFaudulently registered or who die or become insane. Under these safeguards every right of the voter n fully protected.
 The poll tax is required to be paid only by those who are now liable to pay i1 under the existing statutes. In fact. un. der the old Constitution, poll taxes coulo be required of every citizen, no matter how old Under the new. 1t cannot pc required of those over forty-nve years of age. unless the Legislature should see fit to extend 1t, in which case it could not be extended to those over sixty years of age Moreover, under the old Consu. tuition there are no exemptions rom poll taxes provided for, but under the pres | ent Constitution all persons are exempt | ed from poll tax who are permanently disabled, and whose taxable property does not exceed $500.00