The New Orleans daily Democrat. [volume] (New Orleans, La.) 1877-1880, 1878-01-18
POLL TAX AND REGISTRATION.

Inst summer the DEMOCRAT, discussing
the necessity OF a constitutional convention
or the submission by the Legislature to
| tho people of amendments to the present OBJ
| noxio,is instrument suggested that the regis
traton system should be done away with as
| cumbcrsomo and expensive. and that poll
Tux should be imposed and It's payment made
II prerequisites to voting, Our suggestion was
that tho receipt for the poll tax should be
made to suporscde the certificate of regstra-
ton.
A few days since, under the head Of needed
| Reforms" We renewed this suggestion. In his
last letter, printed in Wednesdays DEMO
Graf our able and well informed correspond
cnt, "A Mcmbor of the General Assembly,"
referring to this suggestion, writes as follows
Tho constitution expressly provides for reg
istrntion, and tho registration law passed by
the last Assembly provided n new registration
in the city under officers temporarily appoint
cd, In the country by tho assessor. This law
was drawn after very careful consideration, Is
ns economical hs any efficient registration law
in tho Union, did away with the abuses exist
ing in the Kellogg and Warmoth registration
laws, and was rs simple "a could be devised
by the disntorcstcd gentlemen who labored to
draw and perfect IL.
inc constitution seems 10 inhbt u poll tax
Ms prerequisite to voting and q fOrtiOri to
registration. Wore this not the case, while
| few will be found to question the advisability
OF poll tax, great many consider that, even
with the poll tax, registration presents an addi
tionhi and proper safeguard to the exercise Of
the ancred right Of franchise. Some frauds
and, in fact, tho experience of the past in this
state shows many may escape n poll Tux.
Some and the like experience shows many
mny, escape registration law, but the two
than could be- done by either angly Gentle
men from the parishes, observant and dis
erect rs well as patriots, thought and still
think that registration law was necessary,
oven If q constitutional provision did not re-
qulre it, and oven II II poll tax as u pre-
requisite to voting were imposed.
We understand very we'll that the constitu-
ton requires registration, and that tho inpo-
sition Of poll tax, rs prerequisite to voting,
would be violative of tho spirit of that instru-
ment. Our correspondent understood us to
urge tho Legislature to adopt our suggestion
and pass laws to carry it into effect. Here
he is in error. We proposed that the abolition
of the registration system and tho adoption of
the poll tax qualification should be accom-
plished, not by acts of the Legislature, but
through constitutional amendments.
We arc gratied that gentleman Of so
much ability and SO considerable IN influence
In the Senate, "A Member Of the General
Assembly" agrees with us IA TO the poll tax
qualification, and we must say that, since
reading his letter and giving additional
thought to the subject, we concur In his
amendment of the proposition, that tho regis
tration. made rs economical, simple and cffcc-
tive rs possible, should be retained, and regis
tration and the payment of the poll tax both
made prerequisite to voting.
Our desire Is to see tho ballot box strictly
guarded against fraud. Economy In the
attainment of this great end is Of secondary
consideration. No man should be allowed to
cast a fraudulent vote and no man who Is
not willing TO contribute to tho government
that protects his life and liberty, to say moth
ing of his property, is fit to vote ut all.
Therefore we accept the very judicous sug
gestion of our correspondent, and propose
that an amendment, or amendments, to tho
be framed combining these two