The age-herald., 1901-08-02

1Q6 COu1ullJICO b1Oh
 
 the section as reported by the committed noeant this. He moved to lay Judge Rop- inson's amendment on the table. He with- drew this motion at Judge Robinson re- quest. .,. Judge Robinson then withdrew ms amendment and offered as a supstltute proviso that persons who can neither reao nor write on account of physical disapiilts shall be allowed to vote If otherwise qual- flied under this section. This amendment was adopted and subdivision one as re- norted by the committee was adopted thus amended.
 ,om Long's Amendment. MT Long then offered his amendment He explained that under his amendment the grandfather clause, and the good char acter clause would be extended to 1903 SC that those coming of age by that time should register, and it gave the I1egisla- ture the right to pass registration laws to go into effect after that time. He had no respect for suffrage clause which all lowed man to vote simply because his wife owned 40 acres of land or $500 of property. NAPpiduSc-J WHY AOt Aheiho ~ sSo0O at $3, OOO, 900 for the right to vote, This provision would disfranchise hundreds oi voters The understanding clause alone would allow anybody to register, for if a man had no understanding he ought to be In the asylum. After 1903 a poll tax qual- ification would be sufficient He said that under the plan 1t would disfranchise Lazarus and enfranchise Dives. We had always been taught to think Lazarus was the better.
 gat1.
 Yes, and hell is not far from propo- sition like this" replied MT. Long: Con- tinuing he said hat nothing had ever been said on the stump about adopting a prop erty qualification, and if there had been we would not be here today. He consider ed this the first step towards the downfall of the grand old Democratic party which he loved. Is man any better because he has $500 of property, or his wife has, Here his time expired
 MT. Weatherly of Jefferson said he was surprised that MT. Long with his quick intelligence should so widely misappre- bend the purpose of the committee's plan He had condemned certain qualifications yet by his own amendment left it within the power of the legislature to prescribe the way of qualifications which he con- demned. It had always been the policy of our state to prohibit the legislature from prescribing qualifications other than those in the fundamental law. The purpose of the committee was to fix some definite qualification, remembering that those who are voters now should re- main life voters
 MT Longs amendment puts 1t within the power of the legislature to continue permanently the board of registrars He did not think tse convention cared to prolong the discussion and he called for the previous question.
 It was moved to table the Long amend ment which was done by a vote of 94 to 35.
 The previous question was demanded and section as thus amended was adop- ted.
 Registration Clause.
 The committee then took up the pend- ing question, which was section ten. pro- viding for the registration Of voters. This being a long section, was taken up by subdivisions.
 Paragraph one was read as follows
 Sec. 10. The General Assembly shall provide by law for the registration, after the first day of January, 1903, of all quail flied electors. Until the first day of Jan uary, 1903, all electors shall be registered under and in accordance with the re- ouirements of this section, as follows:
 MT. Reese moved to amend by exclud- ing bastards from voting. He said there were no white bastards in his county which statement caused much laughter. It was suggested that this amendment would have excluded Alexander Hamil- ton, Abraham Lincoln and Andrew Jack son. MT Reese said that his amend ment was aimed at the negroes ana should not be defeated because some one white man might be disfranchised.
 Judge Coleman moved to lay this amendment on the table, which was done and the paragraph as read was adopted
 Subdivision One.
 Subdivision one was then read as fol- lows: l.. 1. Registration shall be conducted, Tn each county. by a board of three reputa- ble and suitable persons resident in the county. who shall not hold any elective office during their term, to be appointed within sixty days after the ratification or this constitution by the Governor Audi tor and Commissioner of Agriculture ana Industries or a majority of them, acting as board of appointment. II one or more of the persons appointed on such board Of registration shall refuse, neglect or be unable to qualify or serve, or a vacancy or vacancies occur in the membership of the board of registrars from any cause, the Governor. Auditor and Commissioner of Agriculture and Industries. of ma jority of them acting as board of ap- pointment, shall make other appointments to i'll such board. Each registrar shall re- ceive g per day, to be paid by the State and disbursed by the probate judges. for each entire days attendance upon the sessions of the board.
 Before entering upon the performance