Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1902-06-27
The New Constitution.

Article four in the much discussed
new State law is devoted to the "elec-
tive franchise and qualifications for
office" While many persons Will con-
siderit cumbersome, yet careful Perusal
and close examination will satisfy one
that it has many excellent provisions.
The first five or six lines prescribing the
prerequisite to register and vote are as
follows:
"Eyery male citizen of the United
States who shall have attained the age
of 81 wears and who shall have been a
resident of this State for at least two
wears. of the city or county in which he
shall offer to vote for one year, and at
the precinct in which he shall offer to
vote thirty days next preceding the cleo
ton at which he shall offer to vote, who
shall have been registered as prescribed
by law, and who shall have paid in per-
son to the State at least six months prior
to the election at which he shall offer TO
vote all poll taxes assessed or assessable
against him for the preceding three
wears. under this constitution or laws
made pursuant thereto, shall be en-
titled to vote" &c.
The prepayment of the poll tax in or
der to vote is not effective until 1908.
Under our present registration law year
in the State is required in order to vote.
That many persons have registered and
voted for wears, who had no more right
to exercise the privilege OF voting IN
Alexandria than they had to vote in
Maine or Texas is well known; men
who moved to Washington and had no
intention of returning to Alexandria.
Their intention is borne out by the
fact that some have tried hard for de-
cades have managed to have their names
retained on the roll of registered voters
and come here only on election day, or
to Join us in some festivities and yet
living near Alexandria will not live here,
The late Judge Charles f. Stuart
decided while on the bench that this
class of so-called residents were not citi-
zens, and for that reason were not allow
ed to register. Judge Norton construed
the election laws somewhat broader. 1t
is an open secret that in 1896 a great
effort was made to allow every man in
Washington to register who had ever
lived in Alexandria. The republic
cans were Lot behind the demo-
Gratis in this particular, and the chair
man of the city republican committee
gave orders to challenge no voters, as he
found many loyal colored voters to turn
the trick in both the city and county.
1t is presumed that the board of regis
trars will throw some safeguards around
the registration lists, however it is doubt
full if non-residents will care to take the
oath under the new constitution and also
pay in person six months in advance poll
tax. Men sometimes lose inlerest in
Others affairs if they have to pay for
it. In section six of this article QV)
it is provided that the ballot box shall,
during all elections, be kept in public
view, nor shall the same be opened, or
the ballots opened or canvassed in
secret. and all elections by representative
bodies will be viva vOce. These, with the
requirements of section fifteen as follows:
"No person shall vote at any legalized
primary election for the nomination. Of
any candidate for public office unless he
is at that time IA registered voter and
qualified to vote at the next succeeding
election" will be, it is supposed, suffi-
cient to deter any one from assisting in
any questionable sehemes-certainly any
one who regards his oath, Electoral
boards will be appointed by the judge of
the Corporation Court. In cities the
boards will appoint the judges of cleo
ton who will have to be voters in the
precincts where they act as judges. As
the Gazette has previously pointed out,
many excellent provisions have been
placed in the new constitution with
some sins of commission if pot omission.
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