The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1880-02-07
Richmond Aispatth,
!, 1850.
The slar,tation Tax.

Tho Caritation Tax.
The speech recently made In the senate
BY Mr.. wssxER, Of Chesterfield, In favor
Of the abolition Of the capitat'on tax as
prerequisite TO voting IL singular one.
There may be good reasons why Virginia
should no longer make her men pay Tor the
privilege Of voting; bat II so, these reasons
> occupy no space In Mr.. WALKERS speech.
First, IL appears that a large number OF
che men In Virginia who are otherwise
qualified to vote do not feel interest enough
in the result OF the elections TO qualify them
selves rs voters-as they can do by paying
the immense sum OF two cents week or
one dollar year. The wrong thus brought
TO light viii not excite much pity amongst
PEOPLE who do pay their capisation tax.
The law depriyes no man OF the right TO
vote. As well might Il be said that because
man must register before he can vote, toe
registration law perpctratcs wrong upon
the voter, and abrldges the right OF suffrage.
Secondly, we are grsyeiy told that there
was passed BY Congress In 1870 can act OF
admission "to admit the State Of Virginia
into the Union! Considering that the
State OF Virginia was never out OF the Union,
this statement may be set down as remark
able, indeed. Pray. when and how did Vir- |
cinia get out OF the Uniony IL we read the |
language OF the act OF Congress quoted by !
Mr.. WALKER, we shall see that there Is no
prefeuce that IL Is an ac TO admit the State
OF Virginia into the Union. The act reads :
as follows:
"And whereas the performance OF The se
several acts, in good faith, was condiu on
precedent 10 The representation OF The ~ ate
In Congress; therefore, that the said : tate
OF Virginia Is entitled TO Representative in
the Congress OF tue United States"
But even this condition precedent was
unauthorized by the Constitution. 1t is
mere waste paper--an act Of CoDgr ess not
simply voidabe, bat null and void from its
very nature. Congress has no riga' Ito deny
to any State her proper represep .tation in
Congress. Each State Is entitled under the
Constitution TO he represented. a. I'd any act
OF Congress that undertakes to ;ut off that
representation, or limit it in any way, is I'M
constitutional and void.
That such is the true vie' v is abund-
autly proved by the facts OF he case IL, as
Mr.. WALKER contends, tho, conditions
under which we exist as u s. ate" O. have
becn violated. Virginia hV been violating
those conditu1s" CD WI IN a high hand
for several years. and not even the yilest
Radical in Congress has co He'd the attention |
OF Congress &c the su oiect. Does Mr.. |
WALKER desires.o 20 TO Congress next year |
fer the purpose OF having tbi. wrong"
righted9 VIII he dare to raise his voice in
that body infaror of turning Virginia out
OF the Union, and himself out OF Congress |
Not he.
Again: Masssc| luseits, we think, requires
her voters to be a bic TO read and write and |
also to pay esp itation tax Of two dollars.
Has she ever lest any part OF her represen-
tation In CoBgre' g on that account In 1870
there were 1851 81 males over twenty-one
years OF age in bat State; yet in 1876 there
were only 2JS,S 40 votes cast in the presi-
dental election or 1887 less than The
number OF makes over twenty-one years old
in that State six years before, or at least
75O, 900 less that the number in the State in
1876. And aim ost all these are white men
whilst the men in Virginia who refused TO
qualify Themselves to vote in 1879 were
generally negroes, most Of whom are not fit
vote at all.
Rhode Island DISTINGUISHES almost her en-
tire ioreign-b1r population. Has she lost
.any part Of her representation In Congress
on account of il No. And will not. Mr..
WALKER is not a Virginlan; and has no
particularly kin d feelings for the old State,
or he would no yer have arraigned her for
dong what New England States do with
impunity. II hey may require educational
and property qualifications, and also the
prepayment Of /, two-dollar captation tax,
Virginia may q lrely require the prepay
ment OF 0ne-d ollar capitation tax.