The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1905-11-23
No Pay Poll Tax No Sign
Petition.
Continued from Page one.)

Any person entitled to vote, for ETC.,
shall have the right to vote al such
election"
The language of the Constitution is
not ambiguous. The Constitutional
Amendment now Article VI, Section
4. provides Every person presenting
himself for registration shall be able
To read and write any section of the
Constitution in the English language.
and before he shall be entitled TO vote.
he shall have paid on or before the
first day Of May of the year in which
ne proposes To vote, his poll tax for
the previous year, as prescribed by
Article V, Section1. of this Constitu-
ton. Then after the authorization
of permanent roll for those register
ing under the Grandfather Clause.
II IS again added Provided such per-
son shall have paid his poll tax as
above required Before one is law
fully n voter he must be entitled to
Vote and from above it is plain That
being registered does not entitle one
10 vote, for it is added, both as to
those whose names are upon the Or
binary. and the permanent roll. and
/ efore they are entitled TO vote" they
shall have paid their poll tax Off liable
for poll tax under Article Y. Section
I OF the (OflSlllulloll.)
i-nder the constitutional provisions
prior tn the Amendment, every male
person. born in the United States. or
naturalized. p years old. resident in
he State , months and in the county
80 DAYS (who has not been disqual
lied by conviction of felony) was an
slector COR qualified voter. aS
the decisions styled him for lack OF
= better word), and when registered
was entitled TO vote. AS the Consti-
tuition then stood, nothing more was
required and such person was reg
istcred voter" But the Constitutional
Amen1ment made q radica, change.
Ii is now before us for the first time
ana decisions as to qualified voters
and registered voters" under the for
mer Constitutional requirements as To
sul3.a"c, throw no light upon the
meaning of the new clauses which
have taken their places in the Constf-
tn 'on.
Inder The Constitutional Amend
ment of 1899. now Const. Art. VI. See.
J. every male person. born in the Uni
ted States or naturaliZed and possess
ing qualifications set out in this arti-
Gle. shall be entitled to vote. Except
rs herein otherwise prov ded. Sec.
" requires Two Years residence in the
four months (and disqualification by
conviction Of a penitentiary offense)
Section ; prcscribes that person Off
nrins, tn vote shall be Il legally reg
istercd voter las herein prescribed. "
Section 4 then provides that in adj
dit;on To the above qualifications as t.
a~c and residence. Every person
prc-eating himself Ia" re@iStrc ton
shall be able TO read and write any
section of the Constitution in the
English language" tunIess registered
under the "Grandfather Clause later
set OUT and before he shall be en-
titled 70 vote he shall have paid on
or before | May of that year. his
poll tax for the previous year" tf Ia
BILE thereto under Article V. Sec. II
and even as TO those registered under
the Grandfather Clause and upon the
permanent record who shall for
ever thereafter have the right in all
elections by the people in this State
(unlcss disqualified for crime) there
is added provided. such person shall
have paid his poll tax as above re-
auired." This shows that while UNI
der the former provisions one qualified
by age and residence (and not dis
qualified by crime) was an ''e!ector'
ana became upon registration a reg
istcrcd voter: but under the COnsti-
tutional Amendment one qualified by
age and residence (and not disquali-
lied by crime) is entitled to register
provided further he can read and
write. as required. or can register un-
der the Grandfather Clause but il
is carefully added that In neither OF
those cases shall he become ..entit I'd
To vote unless further he shall have
paid his poll tax Gf liable thereto)
.T the time nraScrihp1
The Constitutional Amendment was
carefully thought out and fully deba-
ted boil. n t,,n Convent OH ant, befor.
the neoplc. The" We're doubtle.P, gooC
reasons, of public policy. for pre-
scribing that no one though otherwise
qualified and duly and lawfully reg
istcred should be entitled to vote UNI
less he should have paid his poll "a,
Before that is done, he may be reg
iStered but he can not - Il ''ree.Ster-
eel voter" because he cannot vote.
The General Assembly could pre-
scribe such terms as il thought prop
er as a prerequisite to ordering ar
election IL could have dispensed
with any petition. or it need not have
required 1-3, or indeed chat the pc
iitionors should be Registered voters
but having done so We are only auth
orized to hold those 10 be voters whom
the Constitution says are entitled t'
vote" i. e., those who besides being
lawfully registered, upon possessing
the necessary qualification. have furrh
er paid the poll tax Off liable). The
object in requiring one-third of the
registered voters to join in the pc.
tition was doubtless to avoid the eX-
tense, turmoil and heated controversy
incident to an election of this kind
unless at least one third of those emit
tied to vote in such an election should
Indicate their desire that such election
should be held