The leader. [volume] (Brookhaven, Miss.) 1895-1905, 1903-07-22
Wednesday Evening, July %, 1908.
ELECTIVE FRANCHISE.
ARTICLE XII OF THE MISSISSIPPI
CONSTITUTION OF 1890.

Qualifications Necessary for Votins
in Primary or Regular Elections.
SECTION 24O. All elections by the
people shall be by ballot.
SEC 24l. Every male inhabitant of
this State, except idiots, insane per-
sons and Indians not taxed, who is
citizen of the United States, twenty
one years old and upwards, who has re-
sided in this State two years, and one
year in the election district, or in the
Incorporated city or town in which he
offers to vote, and who is duly regis
tered as provided in this article, and
who has never been convicted of
bribery, burglary, theft, arson, obtain
ing money or goods under false pre-
lenses, perjury, forgery, embezzlement,
or bigamy, and who has paid, on or be-
fore the first day of February 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 hold
ing the election satisfactory evidence
that he has paid said taxes, is de-
elared to be 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 election district, if otherwise quail
flied.
vide by law for the registration of all
Cd f@ TO ~ ole
ton, and all persons offering to regis
ter shall take the following oath or
affirmation: II, do
solemniy swear for atfirml that am
twenty-one years old Tor / will be be-
fore the next election in this county !,
and that I will have resided in this
district of $500 county one year
next preceding the ensuing election
Tor if it be stated in the oath that the
person proposing to register is min
lister of the gospel in charge of an Or
ganized church, then it will be suf-
ficient to aver therein two years res
idence in the State and six months in
said election district] and am now in
good faith resident of the same, and
that l am not disqualified from voting
by reason of having been convicted of
any crime named in the Constitution
of this State as disqualification to be
an elector; that / will truly answer all
questions propounded to me concern
ing my antecedentS so far as they re-
late to my right to vote, and also as to
my residence before my citizenship in
this district; that I will faithfully sup
port the Constitution of the United
States and of the State of Mississippi,
and will bear true faith and allegiance
to the same. So help me God" In
registering voters in cities and towns
not wholly in one election district, the
name of such city or town may be sub
stituted in the oath for the election
district. Any willful and corrupt false
statement in said affidavit, or in answer
to any material question propounded
as herein authorized, shall be perjury.
Sec. 243. A uniform poll-tax of two
dollars, to be used in aid of the com
mon schools, and for no other purpose,
is hereby imposed on every male in
habitant of this State between the
ages of twenty one and sixty years, ex-
cept persons who are deaf and dumb
or blind, or who are MANNED by loss
of hand or foot; said tax to be a lien
only upon taxable property. The
Board of Supervisors of any county
may, for the purpose of aiding the
common schools in that county, in
crease the poll tax in said county, but
in no case shall the entire poll tax ex-
coed in any one year three dollars on
each poll. No criminal proceedings
shall be allowed to enforce the col
lection of the poll tax.
SEC. 244. On an1 after the first day
of January, A. D. 1892, every elector
shall, in addition to the foregoing quail
ifications, be able to read any section
of the Constitution of this State; or
he shall be able to understand the
same when read to him, or give a
reasonable Interpretation thereof. A
new registration shall be made before
the next ensuing election after Jan
uary the first, A. D. 1892.
SEC. 245. Electors in municipal cleo
lions shall possess all the qualifications
herein prescribed, and such additional
qualifications as may be provided by
law.
SEC. 246. Prior to the first day of
January, A. D. 1896, the elections by
the people in this State shall be reg
ulated by an ordinance OF this conven-
ton.
DEC. Aat. Lie Legislature Shall
enact laws to secure fairness in party
primary elections, conventions, or
other methods of naming party candi-
dates.
SEC. 248. Suitable remedies by ap-
peal or otherwise shall be provided
by law, to correct illegal or improper
registration and to secure the elective
franchise to those who may be illegally
or improperly denied the same.
Seq. 249. No one shall be allowed to
vote for members of the Legislature
or other officers who has not been
duly registered under the constitution
and laws Of this State, By an officer OF
this State, legally authorised to regis
ter the voters thereof. And registra
tion under the constitution and laws
of this State by the proper officers Of
this State is hereby declared to be an
essential and necessary qualification
to vote at any and all elections.
SEC. $50. All qualified electors, ano
no others, shall be eligible to office
except as otherwise provided in thl'
Constitution.
All persons who receive Thu
supplement should keep it for ref
erenee until after the August pr