,what a ,colored ,man ,should ,do ,to ,vote ,decoration ,to the ,colored ,men of ,voting ,age in the ,southern ,states ,,as citizens of the ,united ,states1 you cannot value too highly your right to vote1 which is an expression of your choice of the officers who shall be placed in control of your nearest and dearest interests4 ,you should vote at every election4 ,in ,national and congressional elections1 vote for the best interests of the country4 ,in local elections1 vote for the best interests of the community in which you live4 99 99 99 99 99 ,,never ,,sell ,,your ,,vote4 ,the ,things that ,qualify a ,colored ,man to ,vote in the ,southern ,states ,,in order that you may know what will be demanded of you to vote under the ,constitutions and laws of the several ,southern ,states1 we give below the substantial requirements of each1 to wit3-- ,,in ,alabama1 ,louisiana1 ,mississippi1 ,north ,carolina1 ,south ,carolina1 ,virginia and ,tennessee ,,you ,,must ,,pay ,,your ,,poll ,,tax4 ,,you ,,must ,,register ,,and ,,hold ,,your ,,certificate ,,of ,,registration4 ,if you can read and write you can register4 ,,in ,alabama1 ,louisiana and ,south ,carolina ,if you cannot read and write you can register if you own #cjj worth of property4 ,,in ,arkansas and ,georgia ,,you ,,must ,,pay ,,your ,,poll ,,tax4 ,,in ,florida1 ,kentucky1 ,texas and ,west ,virginia ,you must reside in the ,state4 99 99 99 99 99 ,a man convicted of almost any crime may be barred from voting4 ,alabama ,must reside in the ,state two years1 one year in the ,county and three months in the election precinct4 ,poll taxes for #aija and each year since then must be paid before the first of ,february prior to the election4 ,persons over forty-five years of age are exempt from poll tax4 ,must be registered and hold a certificate of registration4 ,in order to register1 must be able to read and write any ,article of the ,constitution of the ,united ,states1 and must be regularly engaged in some work1 employment1 business1 trade or calling1 the greater part of the year before election1 unless physically unable to work4 ,a person who cannot read and write1 must own1 or his wife must own forty acres of land upon which he must live1 or must own real and personal property assessed at three hundred dollars1 or his wife must own the same1 upon which the taxes for the year before election must be paid4 ,any person convicted of felony1 adultery1 larceny1 wife-beating1 miscegenation1 vagrancy1 selling or offering to sell his vote1 is forever barred from voting4 ,arkansas ,must reside one year in the ,state1 six months in the ,county1 and one month in the election precinct4 ,must exhibit a poll tax receipt or other evidence that the poll tax has been paid at the regular time for collecting such tax4 ,florida ,must reside one year in the ,state and six months in the ,county4 ,georgia ,must reside one year in the ,state and six months in the ,county4 ,must have paid all taxes prior to election4 ,the poll tax required shall not exceed one dollar annually4 ,kentucky ,must reside one year in the ,state1 six months in the ,county1 and sixty days in the precinct4 ,must be registered in cities and towns of five thousand inhabitants4 ,louisiana ,must reside two years in the ,state1 one year in the parish and six months in the election precinct4 ,must be registered and in order to do so1 must be able to read and write1 and shall demonstrate such ability to the registrars4 ,if unable to read and write1 must own property assessed at three hundred dollars1 on which1 if personal1 all taxes must have been paid4 ,persons under sixty years of age must also pay a poll tax of one dollar annually1 on or before the #cast day of ,december1 for two years next before the time of voting1 and shall exhibit such poll tax receipt for two years to the election officer at the polls4 ,mississippi ,must reside in the ,state two years and one year in the election district or incorporated town or city4 ,must have paid all taxes on or before the first day of ,february of the year of the election1 and shall produce his tax receipts to the election officers4 ,persons under sixty years of age must pay an annual poll tax of two dollars to the ,state1 which may be increased one dollar by the ,county4 ,must be registered1 and in order to do so must be able to read any section of the ,constitution of the ,state1 or shall be able to understand the same when read1 or give a reasonable interpretation thereof4 ,by a decision of the ,supreme ,court1 a person otherwise qualified has a right to be registered whether his taxes are paid or not4 ,any person convicted of felony1 adultery1 larceny1 wife-beating or miscegenation is forever barred from voting4 ,north ,carolina ,must reside in the ,state two years1 in the ,county six months1 and four months in the precinct or ward4 ,must be registered and in order to do so1 must be able to read and write any section of the ,constitution1 and shall have paid on or before the first day of ,may1 an annual poll tax of two dollars for the previous year4 ,persons over fifty years of age are exempt from poll tax4 ,south ,carolina ,must reside in the ,state two years1 in the ,county one year1 and four months in the polling precinct4 ,must be registered1 and in order to do so must be able to read and write any section of the ,constitution submitted by the registrars1 and if unable to read and write1 must prove to the satisfaction of the registrars the ownership of three hundred dollars worth of property in the ,state1 upon which all taxes for the previous year must have been paid4 ,all poll tax must be paid six months before election1 and tax receipts showing the payment of all taxes including the poll tax shall be shown to the election officer at the polls4 ,any person convicted of felony1 adultery1 larceny1 wife-beating or miscegenation is forever barred from voting4 ,tennessee ,must reside in the ,state one year1 in the ,county six months4 ,a poll tax receipt for the previous year shall be shown to the judges of election4 ,persons over fifty years of age are exempt from poll tax4 ,must be able to mark the ticket at election without assistance4 ,in precincts or civil districts with a population of fifty thousand1 and in towns and cities of two thousand five hundred1 must be registered4 ,any person convicted of felony1 bribery or larceny is forever barred from voting4 ,texas ,must reside in the ,state one year1 and in the ,county six months4 ,an annual poll tax of one dollar and fifty cents is required of persons under sixty years of age1 but this is not a prerequisite to the exercise of the right to vote4 ,virginia ,must reside in the ,state two years1 in the ,county one year1 and in the precinct thirty days4 ,must pay all ,state poll taxes1 for three preceding years1 at least six months before election4 ,must be registered1 and in order to do so1 shall be able to make application for the same in writing1 and must answer on oath any and all questions put by the registrars affecting qualifications4 ,any person convicted of felony1 bribery1 petit larceny or obtaining money or property under false pretenses is forever barred from voting4 ,west ,virginia ,must reside in the ,state one year1 and in the ,county sixty days4 ,the right to vote shall never be denied because not registered4 ,general ,advice ,you are urged to pay all of your taxes at the required time1 and especially your poll tax which is by the ,constitution of every ,southern ,state made a special fund for the support of the free public schools4 ,you are also admonished against the commission of any crime1 great or small1 as the conviction of almost any crime will deprive you of your right to vote1 and put upon you lasting shame and disgrace4 ,it is especially urged that as voters you should seek to be on friendly terms with your white neighbors in the communities in which you live1 so that you may consult with them about your common interests2 and that you should ally yourselves with the best people in your community for the general good4 ,it is of the utmost importance to the race1 and it cannot be urged too strongly upon your attention that nothing should influence your vote except a desire to serve the best interests of the country1 and of your ,state4 ,press of ,e4 ,a4 ,,wright #aajh ,chestnut ,street ,philadelphia