The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1901-07-02
A RESOLUTION TO
PURIFY THE BALLOT
Suffrage Article Now Before
the Convention.
A SWEEPING MEASURE
Under This Law Many Thousands
Would be Disfranchlsed.
LONG LIST OF CRIMES THAT DlSQUAllFY
While the Alabama Convention Considers This
Article Number Of Minor Resolutions
Are introduced Into the vir-
gnia Body.
A SWEEPING MEASURE
Under This Law Many Thousands
Would be DISTINGUISHED.
LONG LIST OF CRIMES THAT DlsQUAlIFY
(B ythe Associated Press.)

(B ythe Associated PreSs.)
Montgomery, Ala, June ga suf-
frage and elections article for the pro-
posed new constitution was submitted
to the Constitutional Convention today.
1t provides that, to vote at any election,
a citizen should have resided in the
State at least two years, county one
year. and precinct or ward three
months proceeding the election and he
shall have been duly registered and
shall have paid all poll taxes due. Fol.
lowing are the male citizens, who are
citizens Of the United States, twenty
one years old or upwards, qualified to
register prior to January LIST, 1903:
All who have honorably served in the
land or naval forces Of the United
States in the war of 1912, or in the war
with Mexico or in any war with the
Indians, or in the Civil War between
the States, or who honorably served in
uoO eql 10 sooIoJ IeAeu 10 pupI qua
federate States.
Lawful descendants of persons above
mentioned.
All others of good character and who
understand the duties Of citizenship
and the obligations of the elective fran
chise.
After the first day of January 1908,
the following persons and no other
shall be qualified to register as elect
ors: ~ Il, NAWl1
Those who can, unless prevented, by
physical disability, read, and write any
article of the Constitution of the Unit
ed States in the English language, and
who being physically able to work,
have been regularly engaged in some
lawful business or occupation, trade or
calling for twelve months next pre-
ceding the time they offer to register.
The owner in good faith in his own
right, Or the husband of woman who
is the owner of forty acres of land
in the State, upon which they reside, or
the husband of any woman who is the
owner in her own right, of real estate
i'm Alabama, Of the value of $500 or
more, or the owner, or the husband of
a woman who is owner in her own right
of personal property assessed at $500,
or more: provided, that all taxes due
by him for the year next preceding
shall have been paid.
Following are the persons disQuali.
fed both from registering and from
voting:
All IDIOTS and insane persons, those
who shall be disqualified from voting
at the time of the ratification of this
constitution and those who shall have
been convicted of treason murder, ar
son. embezzlement, malfeasance,> lar
ceny, obtaining property or money I'M
der false pretense, perjury, suborna-
ton OF perjury. robbery, assault with
intent to rob, forgery, bribery, assault
and battery on the wife, bigamy, living
In adultery, receiving stolen property,
sodomy, incest, rape, miscegenation
crime against nature, or any crime
punishable by Imprisonment in the
penitentiary, or of any infamous crime
or crimes involving moral turpitude;
also persons who shall have been con-
victed as Migrants and tramps, and
any persons who shall sell of offer to
sell his vote or the vote of another
or who shall buy or offer to buy the
vote of another in any election by the
people or in any primary election or to
procure the nomination Or election of
any person to any office or who shall
suborn any witness or registrar to Sc
cure the registration of any person as
an elector.
A poll tax of $3.50 and county regis
tration boards are provided for
minority report was also brought in
Both reports were ordered printed. The
privileges of the floor were extended to
Hon. J. ]. Sullivan, of Pensacola. who
felicitated the delegates on the cordial
spirit manifested by the convention
towards the annexation of Western
Florida.
The minority report is signed by Frank
5. White, S. H. Dent, George p. Harri-
son and w. C. Oates. 1t makes Wig
orous exception to the grandfather
clause and says the grandfather clause,
winch refers to descendants of soldiers,
violates the Federal Constitution by un-
dertaking by indirect means to abridge
the right to vote to certain citizens.
This is done by comforting the right to
vote upon descendants of soldiers. This
CLASS includes practically all the white.
ana excludes practically all of the negro
race. u does not prescribe a qualification
bearing any proper relation to the capac
ity OF the voter to understand and dis
charge the responsibilities OF elective
franchise. but fixes an arbitrary status
depending solely on his descent from an
ancestor, over which he had and has no
control and which is impossible Of at
tainment by any exertion on his part.
This provision establishes a perman-
ent hereditary, governing class, which 10
undemocratic, unrepublican and I'M
Awerican.
1t insults the white men. of Alabama
and proclaims their inferiority to the
negro by requiring of them as suffragans
n lower standard Of capacity and lntellf-
gence than that required by the negro.
1T is impracticable of admission. owing
10 the impossibility Of establishing with
any certainty the descent from remotet
ancestors" 4fs