The Montgomery advertiser., 1901-07-24

mT. L0We-InaL f8 tftt OktAy PNh k>oC of my amendment, to require it to be paid in the year in which it is due. Mir. Coleman--I do not know whether have made myself understood. if the man pays up all his poll taxes h- ought to be allowed to vote. would not permanently disfranchise anyooiv because at one time he omitted to pay his poll taxes.
 MT. Lowe--win the gentleman par don me?
 Mir. Coleman-I think I know the gentleman's view.
 Mir. Lowe-I think the gentleman does not understand my views. IT the language correctly reported his ideas
 Mr. President-4Does the gentleman yield to the gentleman from Jefferson? My Coleman--Once more. Mir. Lowe-It is simply4to arrive at an understanding. The purpose of my amendment is not ultimately to dis franchise a man who does not pay within the year, but it is that at the general election he shall not vote un- less his poll taxes are paid tor the year preceding that general election and subsequent to the last general election.
 MT. Coleman-Mr. President, the purpose of the Committee was that if person paid up all the poll taxes when due. he should be allowed to vote. If he was in default in the payment oi his poll taxes he should not vote. We did not desire to disfran- chise anybody who would comply with the law. who would pay his poll taxes. It is not our purpose to disfranchise anybody who aims to pay his poll tax, but if he pays all the poll taxes during any year up, even If he misses four or five years, If he comes in and pays all his poll taxes, we have no disposi- ton to disfranchise him. think I have made myself sufficiently under stood. By reading it you will see that if a man fails to pay at any time or fails within year to pay his poll tax and in any subsequent year pays all the poll taxes accrued against him. he shall be allowed to exercise the fran chise. It is not our purpose to disfran- chise any one permanently because he fails to pay poll tax. I move, therefore, that the amendment be laid upon the table.
 MT. Lowe-May I ask the indulgence of the gentlemen of the Convention for moment? It Is merely on account of the remark of the gentleman just be- fore he tosk his seat.
 The President-Does the gentleman from Greene withdraw Mir. Coleman-For the present.
 Mf. Lowe-Does the gentleman un- derstand 1t is the purpose of my amendment to disfranchise q man who fails to pay his poll tax-2ermanently disfranchlse him?
 Mr. Coleman-It seems to have that effect to me.
 Mir. Lowe-That is not the intention of the amendment as I understand. The provision as covered by my amend ment-we come to a general election. No man can vote in that general cleo ton who has not paid his poll tax
 within the time required each year since the last general election. He loses his vote only in that general eiec- 1 tion, but in the general cleo tion succeeding that, if he has paid his poll tax within the time prescribed each year. in which it Is due he would be entitled
 to vote. and there Is no permanent dsfranchisement. Mir. Coleman-I can only say that the purpose of the Committee was not to disrranchise a man who paid up all poll tax due from him; that he should not lose his right to vote if paid by
 the first day of the next preceding February. There is no provision there by which If he becomes disfranchised
 he can be enfranchised again. By reading this provision you will zee that it is clear. He is required on the first day of February to pay his poll tax, and he is required to pay at l each subsequent year at that time. but l if he gets in arrears one, two, three or | four years and pays up his poll tax he has the right to exercise the fran chise. l move to lay the amendment on the table.
 Upon a vote being taken a division was called for. And by a vote of v ayes and 27 noes the motion to table prevailed.
 MT. Ashcraft-I have ap amendment. Secretary read the amendment as follows: TO amend Section ?, by striking out of the first line the words a citizen and Insert 'an elector.'" Mir. Ashcraft-The purpose of the amendment is simply this: We have so amended the first section as that other persons than citizens may vote and we certainly would not want any confusion about what IS meant by Section ?. Those persons who are not citizens and who are entitled to vote certainly ought to be subjected to the same requirements as citizens. MT. Graham (Talladega)-Mr Presi- dent I would like to ask the gentle man from Lauderdale If an elector Is not already voter?
 Mir. Ashcraft-Sir?
 MT. Graham-I would like to ask If an elector Is not already a voter. understand your amendment 10 read ''an elector," entitling an elector to vote.
 Mir. Ashcraft-That Is rue, if he has all the qualifications that make an elector in the first section, but he can not exercise the right of an elector, unless he fulfiIls the conditions in the second section. The first tells what shall be an clector, and citizens and persons who have declared thelr in tentson to be citizens TT electors. He may be registered and still. i: he fails to nav his poll tax he is not erttled to vote. although he has all the quail fications of an eiector and section refers to just such omissions as that of using the term elector instcad of citizen.
 Mi. Graham-Would not he have to he a citizen?
 Mir. Ashcraft-No sir; he may he citizen. or a person who has declar- ed his intention to become a citizen. MT. Coleman-Section 1 re ads as fol- lows. as amended:
 Every male citizen of this State, who is a citizen of the United States or who has declared his intention to become a citizen of the Unit ed States" It requires that citizen of the State only can vote. To entitle citizen to vote is exactly in harmony with what is already provided in Section l. l