The advocate. [volume] (Charleston, W. Va.) 1901-1913, 1912-10-03
HISTORY OF THE PARRY SHOWS
= HOSTILITY ToWARiiiis sNEe$sRo :
=. VOTERS IN THE PAST ~.
Platform Pledges
VI 1908 are Kept by Democrats in
Last Legislature who Propose VIC
ious Measures to Disfranchisc
White and Colored Republicans.

In it's state platform Of 1908 the
Democratic party inserted it's fam
Gus Disfranchisement Plank.
AIMED at the. coloredt voters it
would catch many whites if full
filled by statute. Whites and
blacks whose suffrage was threat
cned by that prohoqlncelnent, join
eel IN voting to- defeat the Demo
cratic party that year. @ =. ~
This year their platform contains
no such plank, but the purpose in
the, minds of the element dominat-
ing the Democratic party in this
state is just as emphatic for the
Dlstranchlsement law now as it was
four and two, years ago. ....e 49,. :
Two years ago the Democrats
secured the legislature. The leg
lslative program attempted to be
carried through at the regular. and
extra session of 1911 included
Disfranchisement as one of it's
special features. Senator D. F..
French Of Bluefield was intrusted
with the direction of this vicious
plan to deprive thousands of citi-
zens, white and black of their con-
stitutional right Of suffrage.
AT the regular session on. Jan
uary 9th, 1911, Mr.. French intro
duced his bill in the senate The
same had already passed the house,
The innocent title Of this bill 7" A
BilEProviding for the Registration
of Voters - should have read "A
Bill for the Disfranchisement of
Voters. - For in every section it
sought to make the act Of registra-
ton as difficult and as onorous up
on the voter as possible. The devil
himself might have thought of
some additional pitfalls for the vo-
ter, but that is to be doubted very
seriously.
The Bill provided, page 6 line
l) that the registration for each
election shall be made and com
pleted within four days at a fixed
place and at a fixed time of the
day. This provision, to say the
least, would have been very incon-
venlent for the voters in the farm
ing sections where the majority Of
them would be required. to travel
several miles to reach the registrar,
and the time allowed is inadquate.
1t was also provided, (page t Sec.
II line y that the registration
shall close five weeks prior to the
election and no registration or
transfer can be had after such
closing until the general election to
be held two years thereafter.
However, if the voter moves away
he is allowed to vote at the place
he was originally registered, pro-
viding he has the time, inclination
and the money to make the trip
back for that purpose. This mar
velous provision sets at naught the
provisions set out in the general
election law, that voter must be
"bona fide RESIDENT of the pre-
cinct in which he offers to vote.
In another section (page 9, Sec.
6, line J. it provides that if a vot-
er cannot answer fully and to the
satisfaction Of the registrars any
and all questions put to him touch
ing upon his right to register, he
shall not be registered. Even af-
ter having answered this myriad
Of questions satisfactorily it yet
provides that he may be challeng-
ed, which would necessitato his
again going through the proceed
ings Of proving his rights before
he would be permitted to register,
or vote. ..
Page 9, Sec. 6, line 10; This
provision is too lengthy and cert
pick and damnable in it's require
lnents to quote at length. It
amounts to about this If a vot-
cr's inability to read and write is
due to illiteracy. it requires a de-
scription practically equal with
the "Bertillion System as de-
tailed, tedious, and vigorous as if
he were a hardened criminal be-
ing put thr >ugh the "Third De-
gree" 1t practically provides
that the voter must employ a civil
engineer for he must file a p1at
showing the location 2tf his LOT; tkt