The Lee County journal. (Leesburg, Ga.) 1904-19??, 1907-08-09
SUFFRAGE BILL
IS APPROVED
In Georgia State Senate by Decisive
Vote Of 81 to 6.
IS AIMED AT NEGROES
Under Its Provisions No White Man in the
State Will Be Barred from Voting.
Goes to the House.

The Felder-Williams disfranchise-
ment bill was passed by the Georgia
state senate Wednesday morning by "a
vote of 81 to g. This being more than
two-thirds vote, required to amend
the constitution, the bill will be sent
to the house, and when passed by
them will be submitted to the people
for their ratification.
All of the senators were present
when the votes were cast The six
who voted against the measure were
Senators Crittenden Of the eleventh,
Halves Of the thirtieth, Lashey Of
the fortieth, Mattox of the fourth,
Skies OF the tenth and Weaver of the
forty-Arst. All others voted for the
bill.
Several amendments were introduc
ed in reference to the property clause
by Senator Hardman, to striking QUIZ
the good character clause, aud the
educational qualification by Senator
Taylor, and to strike out the time
limit by Senator Boyd All these were
lost, and on point of order by Senator
Fielder the amendment introduced by
Senator Dobbs, in reference to white
male citizens, was ruled mot german"
and declared out of order by the pres
ident. ~
The measure was passed practically
as it came from the senate committee,
and none of its important provisions
were eliminated by amendments
though many were offered. Presi
dent Akin, who favors the bill, did
not vote.
Patterned after the suffrage plank
of the Alabama constitution, the bill
is designed to disfranchise the venal,
ignorant, illiterate and vicious ne
gro. preserving to the white man the
right of suffrage, regardless of edu-
cational or property qualifications. 1t
conforms to the suffrage plank Of
ths Macon platform, and meets
squarely the demands Of the people
as indicated in the recent guberna-
torial campaign.
The passage of the bill indicates
the prevailing sentiment of a ma
jority of the present legislature to
make good their promises to the peo-
ples 1t presages the ultimate success
Of practically all of the reform Iegisla.
ton required by 4 the platform and
demanded by the people, and shows
that the upper house Of the general
assembly is In thorough sympathy
with the present administration.
The bill fixes as prerequisite to
the right to vote certain require
ments or qualifications, which 1t is
known every white man in the stata
can meet, but which few Of the ne
groes will be able to comply with.
AS its name indicates, it is a dis
franchisement measure, and will dis
franchise the negroes or very large
per cent OF them.
In order to vote a man must own
or pay tax on $500 worth of prop
erty, or be able to read and write q
paragraph Of the constitution of the
state or the nation. ~ ~
II he canont comply with these
provisions and few negroes can -
he is entitled to register and vote il
he is descended from any man VINO
fought in any of the wars in which
the United States or the Confederate
States have participated.
Lastly, he is entitled to register ana
vote if he has a proper conception Of
his duty to his state and the nation
Under the last named provision,
every white man In Georgia will reg
lister, and once registered he viii
have life certificate, and will then
have only to pay his taxes to enjoy
the right of suffrage.