The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1880-11-27

Inc 1tpatutlop. lax.
we we're not little .arprised to read in
The WAig OF yesserf.sy shc following candid
admission % TO ',ne rolicy Of rsvoiving the
paymeat Of cartsation tax asa prerequi.
slte 10 yottsg II States in which The negro
voters are ina majority:
"lfthe negroes were N maJdtty, although
The restriction would Atil be wrong under
the Fedevul Constitution anu the poisascal
treaties OF reconstruction, Fuere mlgm ne
rome JsarSiblc exvu~e for u; but WA The
whites In large mansir.S II Is not col' a
critic, Tut siuuser.'
We do nct admit thsf. the restriction Is
wrong undvr ysfe lfeeeral Constitution.
Massachusetts, Rhode esisnd, sud Pennsyl-
yania, all require tue prepayment OF a tax
as q qualification for voting. Ii has never
been held by Sfy court, so far as
we know, chat tiyc FEEDERS, Consultation
has In II ats provision which was intended
TO have the eject OF discotniensncing
poIlsaxlua;ificafo in vosers. The fo1r-
teeuth amendment Of the Federal Conststh'
ton provfdes fys redactsg the representa-
toe iiu Congress OF ans State which sha'l
deay or In raey way ssrdge the right TO
ycscsxcept for participation 10 "rebeuion''
tss the foels cali THOR for soae crime.
Tap right ~ vote is.rot abridged in any
manner mn irginia. The rule here N that
every msn twenty -esec years OF age he's the
wight to vote, whsstyer his color or pre-
ytous condition. Phe fourteenth amenu-
osent provides for fisfranchising csdminals.
The only other, rcrsons DISTINGUISHED in
wirg<nia are idiots and luuaiics. Duellists
,aren6t absolutely DISTINGUISHED. Thevcap
,a,i vote II the Legislature chooses toremoye
their disabilities. Would anybotY1ontend
tbAtSNirginia has lost the tight toany part
either representation IN Congress because
Of this provision temporarily DISTINGUISHING
dueitists? II not. much less csu'it be held
that to require tie payment OF q capitation
tax as prerequisite to voting isan abrtdg-
'meut OF anybody's right TO vote. (Toccall
II denial ~ too absurd TO require notfee.)
THAT ~ certain which can be rendered GER
itain. Every man can perfect his right TO
vote by simply paying dollar ayear to-
wards the support Of the pablic schools.
However, II will be time eno,ghfor us in
Virginia to be alarmed upoz this subject
when Massachusetts, Rhode. Island, and
Pennsylvania shall have been punished for
theirscoDduct In making their voters pay
larger tax than that required Of ours.
Westurn TO the wings admission that
tbcreanigbt be some plausible excuse for
poiltax II the negroes were ia the msiority.
Thisis exactly what Is the case IN one third
OF the counties in Virginia. 10 s"r3e OF
these counties the degrees arc largely in The
majority. In Others they have sufficient
majority 10 enable them, in the absence OF a
poiLtax, to take into their possession every
elective Office. Negro rule must inevitably
follow the eXcisiOn from the State C0nstiiu-
tion OF the provision requiring poll-taX
qualification in voters. Alexandra county,
Amelia, Bruins wick, Charles City, Charlotte,
Cumberland, Dinwiddie, Elizabeth CITY,
Essex, Goochand, GreeDsyille, Halifax,
james City, Lancaster, Louisa, LnnenbuIg, |
Mecklenburg, Norfolk county, -Northamp-
ton, Nottoway, POwhatan, Prince. Edward. |
Prince George, Southampton, Surry, Sus- |
sex, Warwick, York, aud some other coun-
ties have negro maiorlics-some OF them
large negro majorties. Shall we turn over
the property-bolders OF those counties to |
TIE tender mercies OF a set Of negroes who l.
are not willing to pay each e dollar year
for the privilege Of taxing ether peoples
property? Such an outrage would be in
eXcusable.
All talk about the iDalienabie right TO vote |
is rubbish. Women don't vete. Youths
over eighteen and under twenty-one years
old do mol vote. Both Of these classes OF
whites would make better voters than the |
adrlti male negroes. Yet nobody claims it |
as a right for women and youths that they |
shall vote. The right TO voteis one to be
regulated by the State. lie has nO.ri.ht to
complain OF the State for DISTINGUISHING him |
who has the privilege Of removing the dis
qualification by paying the small'snm OF one
dollar year into the Golfers of the Com