The Hattiesburg news. (Hattiesburg, Miss.) 1908-1917, 1911-04-26
.6IE EXPECTED
TO Be LIGHTEST
IN LONG Time.
MANY VOTERS ARE DISQUALIFIED
ON ACCOUNT OF POLL
TAX LAW.
A new POINT HAS been RAISED
Only Three of Fifteen State Officers
To be Awarded Have Less Than
Two Contestants.
A new POINT HAS Been RAISED

JdChSOH, mloos, app a ~
present indications the vote in
Mississippi at the coming primary
election in August, when candidate
for United States senator and all
state officers will be chosen, will be
the lightest for many years.
The election commissioners, who
are making tentative examination
bpf the registration lists, but will not
take final action till July, if they car
ry out the provision of the constitu-
ton relative to qualified electors, Will,
in addition to the delinquent poll lists
for 1910, cut off probably 20 per
cent of the total vote, as section 243,
constitution of 1890, states specifically
that ali qualified electors must
have poll tax receipts for two years
preceding any general election.
Heretofore, this provision has not,
it is said, been rigidly enforced, but
this year, with three candidates for
United States senator, and one OF the
most spectacular campaigns in the
history of the state, the law will be
strictly enforced. All persons who
failed to pay their polls by February
l. 1911. are disqualified, while all per-
sons who failed to pay for 1909,
whether assessed or not, are disquali-
fed, which means a tremendous re-
duction in the total vote of the state.
In the senatorial contest of 1907,
approximately 100000 votes were cast
lis estimated that fully 10000 will
- disqualified for failure to pay the
NAuO poll tax, while it is believed close
to 10000 will be disfranchised for
failure to pay the 1909 poll. There
are many persons who were not as
sessed with the 1910 poll, and the at
torney general, in a decision some
time ago, held that persons who had
paid all taxes assessed would be en-
titled to vote. But this decision, it
is pointed out, is in conflict with sec
tion 243 of the constitution.
The Kinds county election commits
sioners, Messrs. Jayne, Cadwallader
and Biggs visited the department of
justice in body Tuesday afternoon to
confer with Attorney General Hudson
on this point and go over the law
with him, but the attorney general
was out of the city, and Assistant At
torney General Carl Fox discussed the
matter with the commissioners. He
interpreted the provision of the con
stitution just as it is written, but did
not hand down formal opinion In
Mle matter, preferring to wait till he
Nan confer with General Hudson.
This is a point that has never been
raised before in the state, and one
that is the subject of great deal oi
discussion. Leading attorneys of the
city declare there is no way to cir
cumvent the constitutional provision
and that, in order to vote, an electol
must produce two poll tax receipts
Only four of the fifteen state off
ces to be awarded by the voters o.
Mississippi at the polls in Augus
have less than the two contestants.
The only two officials now in office
who have no opponents for reelection
are Prof. j. N. Powers, state superin
tendent of education, and Hon. George
c. Myers, clerk of the supreme court
Even Hon. Writ Adams, state reve
nue. agent, who has had no opposi
= tion for the past twelve years, nov
has an opponent in the field in thu
person of Hon. William Reeves, Jr,
sheriff of Harrison county, who an
that he will shortly com
an active and aggressive can
idition tQf the state.
a t-iMr. Reeves is said to be an abl
campaigner, and, while he promise
very little speech-making, he will en-
deavor to meet, as many people a
possible during the next few months
State Superintendent J. N. Power
had opposition until few days sine
when Prof. c. F. Boyd, of Kosciuskc
withdrew from the race, after servinI