The Montgomery advertiser., 1901-07-24

ing the date of the election at which he offers to vote, all poll taxes due from him for the year 1901, and for each subsequent year; provided, that any eIector. who, within three months next preceding the date of the election at which he offers to vote. has removed from one precinct or ward to another precinct or ward in the same county, incorporated town or city, shall have the right to vote in the precinct or ward from which he has so removed, if he would have been entitled to vote
 in such precinct or ward but for such removal.
 The President-The question is upon the adoption of Section ?.
 MT. Lowe (Jefferson) I have an
 amendment.
 The Secretary read the amendment as follows: Amend Section by
 adding after the words to vote,' in the fifth line, the words and each year subsequent to the last general election next preceding. The Chair-The question is upon the amendment of the gentleman from Jef- ferson.
 MT. Coleman tGreene) sought recog- milton.
 MT. PilIans-I desire to make a sug- SeSJlOH tO tue SCAbiChhoN rum NiOShc N llich think he will adopt. k The President-Does the gentleman yield?
 MT. Coleman (Greene)-I will hear it. MT. Pillans-The first line of the sec tion should be amended in view of the
 action on Section 1, by striking out the word citizen and putting in the words "any person." think to make | it consistent with what we have done,
 it should entitle any person to vote
 instead of any citizen.
 MT. Lowe (Jefferson)-If the chair
 man of the committee will give me a The President-The gentleman from
 Jefferson asks the privilege of making a statement.
 Mir. Lowe-It will not take but a mo-
 ment; do not care to discuss it. The section, as I understand it, requires l the payment of the aggregate poll taxes in February next preceding the cleo | tion. My amendment requires the poll
 tax to be paid in the year in which it is due. I think it Is salutary, for the
 reason that if it is required to be paid in the year which 1t is due, there will
 be no temptation to the candidates to
 supply the money to pay the poll-tax. Mir. Coleman--I will say first, in re-
 
 gate from Mobile, that Section 1 has
 not been altered in any way to con- flict with Section as 1t now reads. It Is the purpose of the committee to pre- pare the section just as it is. When a
 party offers to vote all the poll tax due by him at the time he offers to vote
 must have been paid by him. If he does not intend to vote until 1903 or
 1905. he is not permitted to vote until
 he pays all the poll taxes which have accrued against him. The very pur-
 pose which the delegate by his amend
 ment offers to secure, is better secured.
 as We understand the reading of this
 sect ion, as 1t is now framed, not only
 for the year of election, but for all
 subsequent years prior to the time he
 attempts to vote. The latter clause of
 that section needs some little atten- ton, beginning at the sixth line Pro vided, that any elector who. within three months next preceding the date of election at which he offers to vote, has removed from one precinct or ward in some county, incorporated town or city, shall have the right to vote in the precinct or ward from which he has so removed, if he would have been en- titled to vote in said precinct or ward. but for such removal" That Is the
 provision to prevent parties from going out of one ward or precinct into an-
 other a few days before the election or within a short time, and perhaps the managers of that beat or ward cannot ascertain whether he is an elector or
 not But if he Is required to go back into the ward where he removed from, he would be recognized. whether he Is q qualified elector or not. The purpose
 was to prevent parties from voting who hNy cI stepping across the line of an agri- cultural precinct or from one ward to another in cities. The suggestion that
 it be made to apply to cities came from members of the committee who reside
 in large cities, and the precincts from those who are from the agricultural
 districts. We think it would remedy a great evil as to persons voting who are
 not qualified electors.
 MT, Lowe-Will the chairman yield
 for A moment? I understand from
 sore members of the committee, it is
 the purpose to require the payment Of
 poll taxes in each year in which 1t was
 due by the first day of February.
 MT. Coleman-Yes. sir.
 MT. Lowe-That is the purpose of my amendment. I thought the language did not reach that. The language Of this section as I read permits the pay
 ment of the aggregate of poll tax be-
 fore the first day of February preced- ing a general election.
 MT. Coleman-Ls not that exactly
 what it says?
 MT. Lowe-That would permit the
 payment of the aggregate poll tax. Now. for instance, we are having four wear term elections: general elections
 every four years. The report of the committee would permit the payment of the taxes for four years on or be- fore the first day of February preced- ing the election.
 MT. coIeman-I do not think 1t bears that construction.
 MT. Lowe-I think 1t does. I have studied it carefully. Now, the purpose of my amendment is merely to require the poll tax to be paid each year so there will not be any temptation from any source to supply the money to pay
 poll tax.
 that I do not know what it does m an and for each subsequent year refer hack to the first day of February
 MT. Lowe-Wili the gentleman par
 don me. if l am not intruding. It en-
 titles a resident to vote at any cleo ton. He shall have resided in the state" etc., and he shall have bean
 duly registered and shall have paid
 on or before the first day of February
 next preceding the date of the cleo
 tion at which he elects to vote all poll
 taxes due for 1901 and for each subse-
 ouent year: but he must pay all
 poll taxes, but 1t does not say that