

LOUISIANA. 



409 



Ability to read and write in English or in the elec- 

 tor's native language ; or the ownership of property 

 assessed at $300 or more. But no citizen who was 

 a voter on Jan. 1, 1867, or at any date prior thereto 

 under the Constitution or statutes of any State of 

 the United States wherein he then resided, nor his 

 son, nor his grandson, nor any naturalized citizen 

 naturalized prior to Jan. 1, 1898, who has been a 

 resident of the State for five years, can be deprived 

 of his right to vote by reason of his failure to possess 

 the educational or property qualification prescribed. 

 The privilege of registration by those taking advan- 

 tage of this provision expired Sept. 1, 1898. It is 

 also required that the voter shall have paid his poll 

 tax for two years prior to the election. 



By the provisions of the Constitution of 1879, 

 actual residence in the State for only one year, six 

 months in the parish, and thirty days in the' ward or 

 precinct, prior to election, was required. Under the 

 new Constitution these terms are extended to two 

 years in the State, one year in the parish, and six 

 months in the precinct. Under the former Consti- 

 tution any unnaturalized foreigner, male, and 

 twenty-one years of age, after a year's residence in 

 the State could vote on a mere declaration that he 

 intended to become a citizen of the United States. 

 Under the new Constitution no man of foreign birth 

 is admitted to suffrage until he has become a nat- 

 uralized citizen of the. United States. Separate 

 registration lists are to be kept for whites and 

 blacks. 



I Woman taxpayers may vote without registration 

 on questions submitted to taxpayers as such. None 

 but registered voters may vote in any primary or 

 convention. The Legislature shall make laws for 

 registration and to secure fairness in primaries and 

 conventions, and for secret official ballots. Paro- 

 chial (county) elections must be held on the same day 

 as general elections, except in New Orleans. Of the 

 suffrage provisions the Governor said : " The white 

 supremacy for which we have so long struggled at 

 the cost of so much precious blood and treasure is 

 now crystallized into the Constitution as a funda- 

 mental part and parcel of that organic instrument, 

 and that, too, by no subterfuge or evasions. With 

 this great principle thus firmly imbedded in the 

 Constitution and honestly enforced, there need be 

 o longer any fear as to the honesty and purity of 

 ur future elections." 



The old Constitution fixed the appropriations for 

 public schools. The present one gives them 1J 

 mills out of the general levy of 6 mills, which can 

 be increased by the General Assembly, but not di- 

 minished. The interest on the school fund, the 

 seminary fund, and the Agricultural and Mechanic- 

 al College fund, in all between $60,000 and $70,000 

 annually, instead of being paid, as formerly, out of 

 the general school fund, is to be paid out of the 

 interest tax fund, thus increasing by so much the 

 amount available for the common schools. There 

 is also provided, under certain limitations, a tax not 

 exceeding 3 per cent, upon all inheritances, legacies, 

 and donations above $10,000 in amount or value, 

 the proceeds of which shall be likewise devoted to 

 the public school fund. The poll tax is appropri- 

 ated to the same fund. There are to be separate 

 schools for whites and blacks; the law permitting 

 women to hold school offices is repealed. In New 

 Orleans pupils whose parents are unable to furnish 

 them with text-books are to be supplied with them 

 from the public fund. The limit of taxation is 6 

 ills ; but " for giving additional support to public 

 hools and for the purpose of erecting and con- 

 ructing public school houses, any parish, munici- 

 il corporation, ward, or school district may levy a 

 >ecial tax in excess of this, whenever the rate of 

 uch increase and the number of years it is to be 



levied, and the purpose or purposes for which the 

 tax is intended shall have been submitted to a vote 

 of the local property taxpayers, and a majority of 

 the same in numbers, and in value, voting at such 

 election, shall have voted therefor." 



The provisions for taxation include the creation 

 of a State Board of Appraisers to assess property 

 employed in railway, telegraph, telephone, sleeping 

 car, and express business. Railroads completed 

 prior to 1904 are exempt from taxation for ten years 

 from date of completion. Property employed in 

 mining is exempt for ten years from Jan. l", 1900. 

 The Legislature may levy a tax on inheritances, not 

 to exceed 3 per cent, on direct or 10 per cent, on 

 collateral inheritances ; but no such tax shall apply 

 to property which prior to the time of inheritance 

 has " borne its just proportion of taxes." Parishes, 

 municipalities, etc., may, on vote of taxpayers, levy 

 special taxes not to exceed 5 mills, and incur debt 

 to the amount of one tenth of their valuation. 



The Legislature is to create boards of health for 

 the State and for each parish and municipality. 

 The local boards have practically absolute power in 

 regard to sanitation and quarantine in their own 

 provinces. The new provisions call for reorganiza- 

 tion of the entire system of health regulations. 



Radical changes were made in the organization 

 of the courts, their powers and jurisdiction, and 

 mode of procedure. The trial of misdemeanors 

 without a jury; the trial for offenses where the 

 punishment may be hard labor by a jury of 5 ; 

 in felonies where the punishment is necessarily hard 

 labor, by the concurrence of 9 jurors; requirement 

 of the concurrence of 12 jurors where the punish- 

 ment may be death, are among the new provisions. 

 Grand juries are to be composed of 12 members in- 

 stead of!6 as heretofore, and to serve for six months 

 instead of a single term, and any 9 of them may 

 find a true bill. These provisions are to hold until 

 1904 ; after that the Legislature is at liberty to pro- 

 vide a different system. The Supreme Court selects 

 judges of the Court of Appeals from district- judges. 

 The jurisdiction of the Supreme Court has been ex- 

 tended, as also that of the Court of Appeals for the 

 district of New Orleans. The criminal code is to be 

 thoroughly revised. 



For improvement of roads, convicts may be worked 

 on them in parishes where the authorities use the 

 power given to them to levy taxes for maintenance 

 of roads ; and the Legislature may authorize em- 

 ployment of convicts on public works, and on farms 

 or in workshops controlled by the State : but they 

 are not to be leased after the expiration of the 

 present contracts. 



A railroad commission of 3 members is to be es- 

 tablished, and a State Board of Charities ; and the 

 office of Examiner of State Banks is created. 



The law relating to homestead exemptions was 

 amended. The Legislature must pass laws to sup- 

 press dealings in options or futures on farm products 

 and articles of necessity. Combinations to control 

 the prices of such articles for speculation are de- 

 clared unlawful. 



The cost of the convention to the State was given 

 as $145,000. Ernest B. Kruttschnitt was President, 

 and Robert S. Landry Secretary. 



Legislative Session. The Legislature was in 

 session from the middle of May to the middle of 

 July. There were 28 Democrats, 7 Republicans, 

 and 1 Populist in the Senate, and 60 Democrats, 

 24 Republicans, and 14 Populists in the House. 



A large number of the measures passed were for 

 carrying out the provisions of the new Constitution. 



A school for education of white children in the 

 arts and sciences is to be established and called the 

 Southwestern Industrial Institute. 



The General Assembly passed an act to authorize 



