National Republican. (Washington City (D.C.)) 1872-1888, 1879-04-08
IN rur SOUTHERN STATES.

making prepayment of poll-tax qualiica-
ton for voting, yields the whole question
discussed in THE REPUBLICAN recently un
der the above caption. The position taken
by us was this:
The organic or statutory law of a State that
makes tho payment of q poll-tax n necessary
qualification for voting, is an abridgment Of
OF the right to vote within the meaning of tho
fourteenth amendment of the Constitution of
the United States, and therefore tho said
amendment makes IL obligatory upon Congress
to reduce the representation of Virginia in
Congress, and of such other States as may have
prescribed such qualification for suffrage, in
the proportion which the number of tho male
inhabitants Of such State, being twcnty-ono
years OF age and citizens of tho United States,
who have been so abridged of their right to
vote, shall bear to the whole number of male
citizens tweuty-one years of age in such State.
We referred to Virginia aud the South, for
there only could such restriction have any
practical application for obvious reasons.
Instead Of meeting the issue discussed like
q reasonable being and attempting to refute
our argument or frankly admitting our po-
sition, the Lynchburg Iirgiaiaa evades the
only question involved in our articles, by
quoting recent amendment TO the consti-
tuition Of Virginia which makes the payment
of capitaton tax prerequisite for voting.
The intelligent editor addresses his intelli-
gent readers and proceeds TO knock the
props from our argument ms TO Virginia with
a logic peculiar to no other region. He
says
THE REPUBLICAN doesn' tseem to have learned
that voting is not a right of citizenship, hut
NI..N /. Ill - Ill psNt
alike. Women arc citizens, but they are not
voters. And paupcrs arc citizons, entitled to
the protection of the laws but thoy are not
permitted to vote in Virginia and some other
States.
The argument of THE REPUBLICAN, is long
and labOred, and winds up with the declaration
that the representation in Congress from the
Southern States ought to be cut down to the
extent that "disfrauchisement' is wrought
through the operation of the laws requiring
the prepayment of poll-tax before voting.
| What of Massachusetts. in that case p
The reader will please note what we have
placed In italics, aud then read the following
| from tho constitution oil Virginia, article H.,
section L:
| Every male citizen of the United States (female
citizens arO excluded from the enjoyment OF the
privllegc) twcuty-oue years of age who shall have
| been resident Of the Stale twelve months and OF
the county city, or town in which he shall otler 10
| vote three months next preceding any election,
and shat hare pad 10 he State beinrc NE day Of ecc-
toi me cdpHaOH tar r6quired by ialu for he preccd
| ing gear, shall be entitled to vote &c.
Our readers will please TO note that the
section of the Constitution quoted is from
Article III)
Now, let it be remembered that THE REPUB-
LICAN comedies the right of every State to in
corporate in the organic law such a provision
as we have shown exists in the constitution of
Virginia, for 1t states specifically that the va
lidty of such law "depends on the constitution
of The State in which il has been prescribed y
And thus this stalwart REPUBLICAN,, that
is constantly seeking to make issues
against Virginia and tho South, yields
the whole question rs to this State
When It doesn't even question the right of the
people of State to put restriction upon the
exercise of the privilege of voting, in Their
organic law-just as the people of Virginia
have done by an immense majority-THE RE
PUBLICAN is estopped further comment on the
subject. Tho whole argument as to Virginif
is worthless, for the props are knocked com
petey from under it,
Aud now we shall be curious to see wha
The. Old Man nAfaid-of-the- -Brigadiers vii
have to say about it. Own up Brother CLAPP
that the wind is taken out of your sails ant
that Old Virginia, that understands her Owl
business much better than you do has done NJ
more than she had inalienable right to do il
this matter Of suffrage.
THE REPUBLICAN is not "estopped fur
" ther comment on the subject" becaus,
the Tirginaa has failed to sustain its pie
of estoppel. An avernment Of what &" TIL
REPUBLICAN doesn't seem to hav
learned and puerile whine, in brackets
["What of Massachusetts in that case ?n
may pass for logic south of the Potomac
, but we fail to see its application, as muc
as we fail to perceive the elegance of forg
ing nickname and making personal AZ
plication of it to an opponent in discus
sion of constitutional rights.
THE REPUBLICAN did not discuss tn
rights of citizenship, and said nothing t
justify the inference Of want of knowlede
on that subject We aver that we hav
known, for several years at least, that ft
y male citizens of Virginia, however incor
}, sistent with the name of the State, are nc
Y allowed to vote, and also that Virginia par
C Lynchburg Jirgiaida do not seem to hay
: monopoly of such knowledge. 1t hi
n been intimated that the creditors of til
i State had lively and painful realzatio
b Of the fact that paupers are citizens of Vii
= ginia long before its announcement by tn;
: influential journal-so painful, indeed, thi
Y they might be excused if they were toslightl
8 transpose the editorial phraseology of i
: announcement But we did not know, Their
: fore we did mot seem to have learned
c until informed by the Lynchburg Virginia
e that paupers are not permitted to vote
: Virginia. 1t pains us to hear this from sue
: presumably well-inlormed authority @
: Virginia laws and the rights Of citizel
: hereunder. Still, as even MARSHALL migl
t be mistaken-as to err is human and
G forgive divine we will cherish the hol
i that the gentlemanly and crudite editor
e the Lynchburg Virginian is mistaken, al
= that he may be forgiven by his fellow
e citizens for a no doubt unntentiOnal ave
IS ment of their dislranchisement. We sha
It hold to n generous unbelicf of such disfral
e chisement by organic or statutory law, unit
V the article, section, or clause is cited whiC
It declares the chiyalrOus, high-toned sons
u the female progenitor Of Presidents paupers
d paUperS, forsooth when impecuniosty,
G conscientious scruples, or Spartan regard f
l. the Constitution compels them to scorn IL
s. assiduity of tax-gatherers and plebeian ere