Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1906-10-27
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Virginia colony more than a century before
the revolution restricted the ballot to free
holders and householders. In New England
there were also religious requirements.
Only ''freemen" could vote and only menu
bers OF good standing in Congregational
church could be "freemen." Consequently
the majority of the male population of
Massachusetts were excluded from voting
Roman Catholics and Jews. and in some
places Quakers, were excluded In the New
England colonies. During the eighteenth
century the requirement that all voters be
freeholders was general throughout our
English colonies. After the adoption of the
Constitution the religious restrictions soon
disappeared, South Carolina being the last
state to cling to them-until 1877. When
the Union was formed the general quail
fication throughout the states was that the
voter must possess freehold varying from
40 shillings to three pounds sterling or an
estate worth from twenty to sixty pounds.
varying with the state. Some states re-
acres. Indeed. suffrage was so restricted
In 1871 that only 10000 citizens could
vote. where. II present laws had been on
the books. a million could have done so.
But politicians wanted more votes and
new states offered more and more generous
ballot laws to settlers. So the bars were so
far let down that at the outbreak of the
civil war only Connecticut and Massachu-
sets restricted white suffrage. Alarmed
at the tide of immigration they had in the
ffties provided educational qualifications for
voters. IneSe RESTRICTIONS nave again
spread to other states as check against
the illiterate immigrant in the north and
the negro in the south. @
Educational Restrictions. 500
All voters must read and write In Ala
bama, Arkansas and Massachusetts. In
Connecticut they must at least read Eng
lish. while in Mississippi they must read
and understand the Constitution. In South
Carolina they must be able to read and
write any section of the Constitution, while
in California they must be able to read the
Constitution and write their names. In
Wyoming they must prove able to read the
state constitution in English. In Louisiana
a man may vote IL he can read or write,
or il he pays taxes on $500 worth of prop
erty. or If his father or grandfather was
qualified to vote on January 1. 1s67-a
clause intended to exclude ex-slaves or
their descendants. Similar restrictions
aimed at the colored vote are imposed also
in Alabama, North Carolina and Virginia
while practically all Of the southern states
again have a property or tax-pa ying quail.
fcation Of some kind. The effect of all OF
these southern restrictions has been the
Acknowledgement in each state OF 1000 10
10000 whites and practically all of the
negroes i".+
Women will vote this fall on an equality
with men In Colorado, Idaho, Utah and
Wyoming. On school questions only they
will be allowed TO cast their ballots also
in. Massachusetts,, South Dakota. Wisconsin,
Michigan. Ohio. Washington. Montana.
Oklahoma. New Hampshire and North Da-
kota. None of the others. not even New
Jersey, the original womans suffrage state
which allowed many of our grandmotlers
to vote from 1tf6 to 1SO7-will allow fem
mime vote on any question. In New York.
however. women property owners other
wise qualified but for sex may vote at vii
lage elections or town meetings to raise
money by tax or assessment.
JOHN ELFRETH WATKINS.