Montgomery County sentinel. [volume] (Rockville, Md.) 1855-1974, 1908-01-31
SUFFRAGE ANRNDNENr

As printed and IS 6aAlly decided upon
The ConsIisalionAl Amendment contains
some features that have heretofore escaped
publication, II will Il Is understood, In.
crease the period q reslde0ee necessary 10
quality tor voter in the State nom one
rear, As now prescribed BY the Constitution,
totwo years, and will Increase the period Of
reslaeace In eoaay or legislative district
from six months 10 one year, The purpose
olthls provlslon Is 10 utilize the migratory
deposition Of the negro IS one means o. dis
IssncAising him, THIS method has proved
remarkably effective in other Southern
States, Ii was suggested to Senator Whyte
Ex-senator Johnston, Of Alabama, and was
vigorously nrSed upon the committee by
Senator whyse and hr, William Shepard
Bryan, Jr,
Tue grandfather clause Of the amendment
VIZ vrovsle, II is said, that any person en-
10 vote on or before January /, 1869,
ale DESCENDANT Of any such person who
become 81 years Of age on OF before
EryI, 1894, shall be qualified 10 register,
natnralisea citizens clause, under
aan naturallaed citizens, in addition TO
nalurallned prior n 1870, will ecmNln
des that all who have been nslaralt01
senJan. /. iSe9. and Ne 8s,e os lss aaop-
me amendment - .,,.A a.
.er, aud that all De aaAsG q saoA
rs who become Of 81. prias 10 or ga
AIRY I, 1891, shall ILL., S.~s ~ SsS,,aeA
sisler,
naturallzed citizen Is thus placed up
absolute equality with the natlve-horn
rleAn aud under these two Alternatives
Grandfather clause and the nAturaliEs.
clause all white eltizens Of Maryland
come in, Tue grandfather clause and
naturalization clause, however, are 80
led ~ to make II unnecessary for any
le man TO subscribe to any other lest,
Ae educational alternative will include
ANQultemenl that every applicant for reg
islratlon, without help or assistance Of any
klnd, without memoranda aud without Ques'
tons from the registration officials, shall
frame an application In pen aud ink In his
own handwriting In the presence Of the reg
issralion officials, In which he must state &C.
eaEalely h,s name, age, date and place Of
birth, residence. occupation, names OF en-
ployers tor TIVE years past Il any, and also
the nance 10 full Of certain specified Federal,
State aud maalelpAl or eo1aIy offelals The
ppovlslon Tor reading and writing out on
alesaAon Of section or clause Of the Consli.
tuition or Declaration OF Independence has
been omitted by the committee In orderfu fully
to eliminate everything Of discretionary
nature nom the power or control OF the reg
iseranon officials, II was telt by the COM
ml,lee that the right on the part OF the res.
lssgatlon officials to require applicants TO
read or write = section OF the Constitution
submitted to them by the registers might en-
able the registers submitting the clause TO
pick out hard clauses for different applicants
and to read them to different applicants In
adiferent way, 80 Is to make II harder Tor
one man than for another Ia order 10 do
away with this altogether aud TO leave no
vesliSe OF discretion In the hands Of the reg
lslrallon officials this provision was cut out
by the committee aud that requiring the sp.
plieants under the educational clause to
write out the names In Iull Of certain Fed.
eral, State. municipal or county 'ofneen was
substituted,
The property clause requires persons to
own and to have paid taxes on real or per
sonAl property In the amount OF not less
than $500 tor two years next preceding the
date OF his application for registration,
Ii must be understood that these iour
elauscs--the grandfather clause, the nalu'
taliaAton clause, the educational clause aud
the property olause--Sro alternatives, and
that any man who can register under one
Of them need not bother At all about the
other three All white men will be able to
register under either the grandfather or the
naturalization clause,
10 addition 10 these features the amend
menl Also contains provisions to goard
against It's mAladmlnlslratos and abuse by
the registration officials aud provides for an
appeal to the court, in which the rights Of
the elHssns are infinitely aud carefully pro,
lecsed and secured, FaN jurisdiction and
power are given the courts to review aud
correct the action Of the registration OH.
elals Another Important feature Is the fact
that the evidence required to establish the
right Of = eiuaen 10 register Is definitely
nxed In order that Il may he certain that
the requirements shall apply equally to all
citizens and exclude any abuse on the part
Of the repatriation ofieials, An appeal Is
provided Tor TO the lower courts, a. well as
TO the Court Of Appeals, aud provision Is
made Tor the prompl hearing Of these ap,
peAls
Sixteen Maryland Democratic Senators
have been Interviewed as TO the aavisabilty
elnominating Hon, WI, Bryan tor the next