Macon beacon. [volume] (Macon, Miss.) 1859-1995, 1901-02-16
JACKSON, February :, 1901.

law Of Mississippi DISTINGUISHING the
negro They come from students of
constitutional law, from college So
cieties in every State in the Union, from
legislators who have heard of "the
Mississippi plan of suffrage, and whs
want to improve their own. Although
the present constitution of Mississippi
was adopted in 1900 its provisions are
but little known and less understood
outside this State; and hence every in
qury received is doubtless inspired by
a sincere desire to get correct informa-
tion on the subject. To impart it is the
only object of this statement.
Here are the franchise sections OF the
constitution of 1900:
Sec. 24l Every male inhabitant Of this
State, except idiots, insane persons, and
Indians not taxed, who is n citizen OF the
United States, twenty-one years old and
upwards, who has resided in this State two
years, and one year in the election district,
or in the incorporated city or town in
which hs offers to vote, and who is duly
registered as provided in this article, and
who has never been convicted of bribery
| burglary, theft, arson, obtaining money or
goods undor false prctenses perjury, for
| gerry, embezzlement or bigamy, and who
has paid, on or before the first day Of Feb
ruary of the year in which he shall offer to
vote, all taxes which may have been legally
required OF him. and, which he has had an
| opportunity of paying according to law,
for the two preceding years, and who shall
| produce to the officers holding the election
satisfactory evidence that he has paid said
taxes, is declared to be a qualified elector;
but any minister of the gospel in charge of
| an organized church shall be entitled to
| vote after six months residence in the cleo
ton district, if otherwise qualified.
Section 242 relates to registration of
| voters.
Sec 243. A uniform poll tax of two dol
lars, to he used in aid of the common
schools, and for no other purpose, is hereby
imposed on every male inhabitant Of this
| State between the ages Of twenty-one and
sixty years, except persons who are deaf
! anu uuillD VI Blluu VI NhO hlc LhlulOu ny
loss of hand or foot; said tax to be lien
only upon taxable property. The board of
supervisors of any county may for the
purpose of aiding the common schools in
that county, increase the poll tax in said
county, but in no case shall the entire poll
tax exceed in any one year three dollars
on each poll. No criminal proceedings shall
be allowed to enforce the collection of the
poll tax
Sec 244 On and after the first day of
! January, A. D., 1902, every elector shall,
in addition to the foregoing qualifications
be able to read any section Of the constitu-
ton of this State; or he shall be able to un-
derstand the same when read to him, or
give reasonable Interpretation thereof
! a new registration shall be made before
the next ensuing election after January the
first, A. D.. 1902.
1t will be observed that the fore
going does not disfranchise the negro
any more than it does the white man.
1t simply means that the citizen-blacb
or white-who will not pay all taxes,
including the uniform poll tax of two
dollars, to be used in aid of the COM
mon school, " on or before the first day
of February in which he offers to vote,
and who is not intelligent enough to
read any section of the State consttu-
tion, or to understand the same when
read to him, or give reasonable inter
70 ti,nSa,f ghnll At ba al ll,r,ynl
to vote. In other words, he voluntarily
DISTINGUISHES himself for the period
named. In the case of the poll tax, it
will be noticed that mo criminal pro-
ceedings shall be allowed to enforce its
collection" The only penalty is, that
the delinquent cannot vote. And the
registration statistics of the several
counties show that there are thousands
of whites as well as blacks who thus
disqualify themselves And the fact
that the poll tax is a school fund, and
makes this delinquency all the more to
be regretted.
The total polls assessed in 1899 were
273, ST. which. at s. each, would have
made a school fund of S547,5j4, Of
this, the total collected was s304 4357.50,
showing that there was unpaid S25S,417
the delinquemts being mostly me-
groes.
CONSTITUTIONAL PROVISIONS
Sec. 20l. 1t shall be the duty of the legis-
lature to encourage, by all suitable means
the promotion of intellectual, scientific,
moral and agricultural improvement, by
establishing uniform system of free pub
lie schools, by taxation or otherwise, for
all children between the ages of five and
twenty-one years. and, as soon as practi
able, to establish schools of higher grade.
Sec. 20G There shall be common school
fsnd, which shall consist of the poll tax
Ito be retained in the counties where the
same is collected) and an additional sum
from the general fund in the State treasury
which together shall be sufficient to main
tain the common schools for the term of
four months in each scholastic year. But
any county or separate school district may
levy an additional tax to maintain its
schools for longer time than the term of
four months. The common school fund
shall be distributed among the several coun-
ties and separate school districts in pro- ,
portion to the number educabe children in .
each, to DO determined from data collected
through the office of State superintendent /
of education, in the manner to be pre- ,
scrbed by law.
Sec 207, Separate schools shall be main
tanned for children of the white and coored
races.
Sec 30S. No religious or other sect, or
sects shall ever control any part of the
school or other educational funds of this
State; nor shall any funds be appropriated
toward the support Of any sectaran school;
or to any school that at the time of receiv-
ing such appropriation is not conducted as
q free school.
1t will thus be seen that our uniform
system" is "for all children" and that
the school fund is distributed 'n pro-
portion to the number Of educable chill
dren in EACH" A proposition intro
duced in the senate, at the last session
of the legislature, and earnestly in
sisted upon, to so amend the constitu-
tion that the school fund should be dis
tribnted to The races in proportion TO
the taxes paid by each, was reported