Who May Vote

The following extract from the opinión of Hon. Fred. A. Maynard, Atty. General of Michigan, is of general interest as it showB juat how the amendment adopted last fall affects the foreign voter : "There is but one question that has been presented in the many letters ttiiich l have received on this subject, and that is as to how this section of the constitution, as araended, affects male inhabitants of foreign birth in this State. The question is asked, ''must a foreigner become a full American eitizen bef ore he can vote in this itate, " and second, if so, does this affect male inhabitants of foreign birth, who, before this section was amended, may have been electors?" In other words, are any foreigners by this seetion as amendod, disfranehised? My answer to this question is this : No male inhabitant of foreign birth now residing in this State, can vote to any election held in this State, until he shall become a citizen of the United States ; and a male inhabitant of foreign birth, who may have been a qualified elector last ísovember, cannot vote next spring, unlesa he shall be, by that time, a citizen of the United States: Provided, of course, that he does not come within the expresa constitutional exception, viz. : A residence of two years and six months prior to the 8th day of November, 1894, and his having made a declaration of his intention to become a citizen of the United States, two years and six months prior to said last named date. ín such a case, of course, such an inhabitant of foreign birth can continue to vote. Before this amendment all that was requirei of a foreigner, who carne to this State, was a residence therein of two years and a half, and a declaration of his intention to become a citizen of the United States six months preceding the last general election, in November, and had declared his intention of becoming a citizen six months preceding said election, became thereby a qualiflod elector ; but now, by reason of the amendment, all this is changed and such a person is no longer an elector - he can no longer vote, nor can any other foreigner vote in this State, who had not declared his intention to become a citizen of the United States, two years and six months preceding the 8th day of November, 1804. It by no means follows that he is permanentiy disfranchised ; he simply must wait until he becomes a citizen of the United States, and then he can vote."