The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1880-08-17

The Capitauon Tax.
We are inclined TO think that the MAwsSE
,,.r,v have not strengthened the independ.
sct electoral ticket by their fierce attacks
mon the constitutional provision which re-
onlres the payment Of cspi,auon TAX as !
prerequisite TO voting. The movement "
favor OF the amendment Of the state Se"-
xtitutlon In this particular does not seess 10
he at all popular In the western sectfeo Of
the State, where The regular pemocfSs are
using that movement as an srgumentsgainst
the Mahoneites which Is Sususweraoee' Ing
people OF tia. section do not desire 10 nave
,na for,uncs Of virgIasa entrusted TO the
car. ~ the negroes. They are not
.nx,ous 10 put Il into the power q
these unqualified voters OF African ee'
scen, 70 outvote the pare white Caucasians
either Of that section or OF the eastern sec
lion OF Virginia. lie, It never be forgotten
that II the cspita,ion tax be done away WIN
.s a prerequisite TO voting, the coaptles
named ia The following lit VIII be tsrneu
over to the tender mercies OF the negroes
Who in all OF these counties, would in that
event constitute a majority OF the voters.
Tho counties 10 which we refer are Alex
,nar,a. Amelia, Brunswick, Buckingham,
Charlie. CITY, Charlotte, Cumberland, DIM
widdie. Elizabeth City, Essex, gloucester
Goocbland. Greensville, Halifax, James
CITY. King and Queen, King William, Lam
caster. Louisa, Lunenburg, Meck'enburg'
New Kent. Norfolk county, Northampton,
No,,owav. Powhstan, Prince Edward
prince George, Southampton, Surry,As us-
sex. Warwick, York, land the city OF re-
tersburg.)
Is there a white man in the Valley, or I'd
the Southwest, who would he Wiling so 10
wrong the men Of bis own race in the coun-
ties above named as 10 put it into the power
Of the negroes OF these counties TO elect
negroes to represent the whites and TAX
nayers and TO make laws for thems
That the negroes Of East virginia LOOK
upop the movement upon when we are
commenting as one that Is being maze IN
their interest is evident enough to every
observer OF passing events. AT hepuoii-
can meeting held In Albemarle two weeks
ago, the following resolution was passed:
5 {" RESOLVED, That the thanks OF the he'
nuhlicans of Albemarle be rendered 10 Hon.
John Paul for bis bold and manly course OF
advocating the repeal OF the unjust ana uh'
+, constitutional capitaton.taX law us pre-
requisite 10 voting
That Republican meeting OF any con-
considerable size in Virginia Is always
meeting largely or almost wholly consisting
of negroes goes without saying. The gen.
tIemau named in the above resolution Is tue
MALONE candidate for Congress IN Inc sew
enth district. The resolution quoted was
no doubt intended to make irlends
for him amongst the negroes OF mat
district. and TINS to aid in his cleo
tion TO Congress over the Democratic nomi-
nee. Judge ALLEN Will, however, see 10 IL
that that resolution shall be sword that
will cut two ways. IL Albemarle. Flu
wanna, Greene, and Goochland, had not
been in the Seventh district, Mr.. PAUL
would not have expected to make any capt.
tai out OF bis views on the question OF tax
ing polls. But as Ii is, Albemarle reported
last year 2,s79 negroes entitled to vote upon
the payment OF the head tax; Fluvanna
reported 1,051; GoochlaEd, LOTT; ana
Greene 3l7. Here are over five thousand
possible voters whose favor Mr.. PAUL deems
1t worth his while to seek.
OF course, il Mr.. PAUL finds 1t to his
own interest to become the champion OF
patriots who will NOT pay each one dollar
year for the privilege Of voting and to aid
in keeping up the public schools, the Ma
HONE candidates residing east OF the Blue
Ridge will have still stronger Inducements
to lead them to denounce the captation tax
rs Ubiquitous and uniustifabe. In word,
the people OF Virginia may expect to en-
counter regular army of orators battling
for the cause Of their fellow.ctizens OF Al
rican descent, who are more anxious to get
rid OF an annual tax of one dollar than their
champions are TO provide for the welfare OF
the Commonwealth.
Or. FRAYKLIN's illustration has done good
service in bad cause. He said that II JOHN
SMITH owned mule, and voted because he
paid tax on it, and the mule died and JOHN
lost his vote, it was the mule and not JOHN
that voted. This was humorous illustra-
ton, and the world will never hear the last
OF IL; vet It was none the less true in DIR.
FRAXKLIN's day, nor is it in ours, that 8
community of tax.paying voters VIII east
their votes more thoughtfully, IL not more
intelIgenty, than community OF men
upon whom the right OF suffrage Is con-
ferred indiscriminately and without iefer
ence to whether they pay any taxes or not
We would like for the regular Demo
cratic speakers to press home upon the In
dependent candidates for electors and fol
Congress these questions; !. Would 1t mo-
be better for Virginia II none but white
men had the right to votey 2. II so, ant
1t being out OF the power OF any State Il
deprive negroes OF the right to vote, or II
discriminate between them and white mer
as to that right, does not sound policy re
Quire tue true sons OF Virginia to keep thu
cspitaton tax in force as mears Of rem
dering a great evil less than it would bt
under suffrage restricted by no qualifica
tons!
The Republicans and the Mahoneitei
walk together in friendly fellowship, ant
work together under one yoke--at less
those Of the TWO parties who are repre-
scented by the WHO and the Southern Intel