The Donaldsonville chief. [volume] (Donaldsonville, La.) 1871-current, 1878-01-19
Saturday, January l9, 1878
AN ESSENTIAL REFORM.

measure Ot iclOIIl HtStu upon INC db'
tention of the General Assembly
more prolific Of beneficialresults, both
in an economical and general point OF
view, than the proposition to repeal
the cumbersome registration law now
in force and constitute the poll tax
receipt of the citizen the evidence of
his right to vote. Such requirement
as this, surrounded by simple but eff
fective safeguards regulating the is
suance of these receipts, supplemented
by the provisions of the election law
for the prevention of fraudulent vot-
ing, would save thousands of dol
lars to the people in every election
year and do away with the objection
able and superfiuous features of the
existing registration law, which afford
opportunity for the preparation of
fraud and make Supervisor of Reg
istration necessary in every parish.
Moreover, this manner of regulating
suffrage would not be open to the OBJ
jections of an educational or proper
ty qualification, either of which would
excite the alarm and animosity of
the colored citizen, against whom as
a class it would be urged the measure
was directed. We contend that it is
not the policy of Louisiana or any
other Southern State to curtail the
colored vote elf-interest, in the alb
sence of any higher motive, would
forbid such a movement, inasmuch as
the loss of this vote would entail
serious reduction of the Congressional
and Electoral representation of these
States and fatally diminish their pres
tige in the national councils. The op-
position of the mass of Southern whites
to the exercise of the electoral fran
chise on the part of their black neigh
bors, has passed away with the ter
mination of Republican rule in the
South and the great improbability of
recurrence of results produced by the
united colored vote which were re-
galded by the whites injurious to
their rightssandt interests, and sub
versive of the legitimate purposes of
honest and intelligent government.
No man, white or black, rich or
pour, who has a spark of that public
spiritwhich is the essence of the quail
ties constituting the desirable citizen,
will complain of the slight impost of
a dollar per annum as prerequisite
to his right to vote, when he consid-
ers that the money derived from the
tax goes to the free school and Chart |
ty Hospital funds, and that the impo-
sition of this inconsiderable burden
under the conditions we have outlined !
will be the means of diminishing Wis
IDLY the heavy rate of taxation which
now Expresses the property holder
and, through him, all other classes
of our population.
So prominent and important are the
benefits to be derived from the reform
suggested, it will be matter of sur
prise and disappointment to us if the
General Assembly fails to include it
among the many good measures which
The people expect from their Senators
ana Representatives in this year of
political peace. OF course the mat
er of the poll-tax reform will have to
1e encompassed by constitutional
amendment, as the existing organic
aw requires registration of voters,
'ut it the General Assembly will put
he proposed amendment in shape for
submission to the people at the next
'lectlou, we venture to say there can
'e no doubt of its incorporation into
he State constitution.