The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1905-04-04
A WIDE-OPEN VOTE
No Poll Tax Restriction
in Primary.
OAIy Extraordinary Qualification is
That Voter Shall Declare Himself
Ready to Abide Result in
Election.

The question having been mooted
as to whether under the new primary
law devised for Raeigh, the poll tax
qualification provided for in the Con-
Stitutional amendment would operate
to bar those from the primary who
had not paid their poll tax, an inves-
tigation was made yesterday and in
terviews had with several gentlemen
interested in the primary and familiar
with the intent of the law and the
restrictions thrown about it by the
Constitution.
1t may therefore be said that there
is only one qualification necessary to
enable a man to vote in the primaries,
outside of the general qualifications
OF residences, etc, and that is his
declaration that he will support the
ticket Of the Democratic party which
will be nominated at such primary or
primaries
The Constitutional amendment op-
Grated in a measure as q season of
grace granted to those who had not
paid their poll tax when due. The
principle upon which ii was framed
was that no man should be allowed to
vote who did not consider his suffrage
IF sufficient Importance to contribute
in some measure towards the sup
port Of the government. But the test
was made a yearly one and it was
provided in the amendment that no
man should be allowed to vote in an
election unless he should have paid
MS poll tax for the previous year on
or before the first Of May last. AS
the poll taxes become due in June. the
year as far as an April primary is
concerned, began on that date and
q fipct -
May to settle. cannot have his qualif-
cations impaired as far as the pay
ment Of tax is concerned.
1t was suggested by one or two
parties that the clause in the. amend
ment as to the payment of poll taxes
could not refer in any event except
to general or State elections, and that
az far as municipal contests were
concerned it did not apply. That in
wolves a Question Of judicial construc-
ten, however, which it would be idle
TO discuss except i'm the form of a
suggestion.
AS To the primary, there seems to
be no reason for a serious doubt. but
that any voter. otherwise qualified.
who will pledge himself to abide the
result, may participate in the munich
pal primary. If the primary had
Deen arranged for a date later than
the first of May, the poll tax quail
ication might have been included in
the act which legalized it, and in that
event the question as to the right to
vote without the previous payment of
the tax would have been one for the
courts to decide on the broad princi-
pie of whether or not the amendment
operated as to town as we'll as gen.
eral and State elections,
n i11o1 Ia
which the nominations for city officers
will be made on the goth of this
month, was largely copied from the
Mccklenburg Iegalized primary act
passed by the legislature Of 1901
which has given all possible satsfac-
ton to the people of Charlotte and
The county of Mecklenburg, after hav-
ing been tested by one general cleo
ton and two city elections in Char
lOtte. Raleigh's act includes the Aus
tralian secret ballot system, which
has so rapidly grown in popular favor
wherever it has become law, because
it guarantees an honest and orderly
expression of the voters choice of
candidates for office. unannoyed and
nmhampered by the professional ward
heeler.
The voters Gone at a time only)
enter the ropcd off space kept clear Of
all intruders by law get their ballots
from the poll holders only with all
The names to be voted for printed on
)ne strip of paper. go into the booth,
ross mark the blank square opposite
the name of each candidate to be
voted for, fold the ballot if they wish
o 90 SO and put it into the box, or
land it to one of the poll holders for
deposit as they prefer. AS one voter
passes out of the space another way
from that by which he came in,
another takes his place in the en-
closure votes and retires. until the
polls are closed.