The citizen. (Frederick City, Md.) 1895-1923, 1908-01-31
NEW SUFFRAGE AMEND
MENr.
Something About it's Provis
ions and How it Differs
From the Last One.


caucus III Anna on the ques
tlon "i the Suffrage amendment.
which il soon Ia I've submitted 10
I he General Assembly, and later
10 h. Voters OF he State Tor their
apir">al. q.
ATTORNEY General Straus aud
his committee have been at work
tor snne time on thiS important
mrasnIe, aud herewith We give Il
surrey at il. The complete amend
mrnt viii lie later on published
)" Thar the people can read and
study it.
A. printed and a. finally de
ended upon the amendment con
taiuS some features that have
heretofore escaped publical ion.
Ii Will. II i understood, Increase
the period OF residence necessary
toqualIlA for IA voter in the S ate
"om one year. as now prescribed
hN he Coustltutlon. TO two years.
and Will mere Se the period Of
residence IN hr county or legiS-
lalivr district from six mont his
Ia one Year. The purpose of Ibis
provision Is TO utilize / he migrA
tory disposition of the nrgio as
one means of DISTINGUISHING him.
ibis method has proved remark
ably effective III the other South
en- States. 1t was suggested to
Senator Wh,te by Senator John
sion. of Alabama. and was ,igoI-
ousll urged upon the committee
3l Senator WhAte and Mr.. VII
liam Sheppard Bryan, Jr.
THE GRANDFATHER CLAUSE.
The grandfather clause of the
amendment will prov ide, it is
sad, tha' any person, entitled to
vote on or before January /, 1869,
or male descendant of an, snch
person who shall become II years
of age on or before January l.
1921, shall be qualified 10 reg
lister.
The naturalized citizens clause,
under which all naturalized eli
zens. in addition to those natu
rallied prior to 1909, will come
III. pro, ideS that all who have
neen naturalized between Janu
ry |, 1869. and the dare of the
adoption of the amendment shall
he permitted to register. and that
all descendants OF such persons
who become of age prior to or on
January |, 1921, shall likewise be
qualified to register.
The naturalized citizen is thus
placed upon an absolute equality
with the native horn American,
and under these two alternatives
the grandfather clause and the
naturalization clause-all white
citizens of Maryland will come
IN. Those who come of age
after January l, 1921, will have
to qualify under either the prop
erll or the educational qualifica.
ton. both of which are explained
below The grandfather clause
and the naturalization clause,
however, are so framed as to
make 1T unnecessary for any
white man to subscribe to any
other test.
EDUCATIONAL TEST.
The educational alternative will
include requirement that every
applicant for registration. with
OUT help or assistance OF any
kind, without memoranda aud
without questions from the regis
tratiOn officials, shall frame an
application in pen and ink in his
own handwriting in the presence
of the registration officials, in
which he must state accurately
his name, age, date and place o:
birth, residence, occupation, the
names of his employers for two
years past, if any. and also the
names III full OF certain specified
Federal, State and municipal or
county officials. The provision
for reading and writing out on
dictation of section or clause of
the Constitution or Declaration
of Independence has been omit
ted by the committee in order to
everything of a discre-
tlonary nature from the power o.
control of the registration Off
Gals.
THE PROPERTY CLAUSE.
The property clause requires
persons 10 own and to have paid
taxes on real or personal property
in the amount of not less than
$500 dollars for two years next
preceding the date of his appli-
cation for registration.
1t must be understood that |
,hese four clauses-the grand
'ather clause, the naturalization,
,lause, the educational clause and |
he property clause-are alterna-
ives, and that any man who can
egister under any of them need
lot bother at all about any of
he other three. All white men