The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1881-07-09


The Capitation Tax
Ii "a amusing 10 Witness 10 how many
WAYS the MABosE organs attempt 70 iuss'iy
their opposition to the requirement OF the
safe Constitution that poIl.tax shall De
paid as prerequisite 10 vsting. The rage
Courier eisposes Of the question az Follows
~rhe Regdjustefs dent propose, ana
,,axer AID. 70 remove the capitation TAX.
npna, ara only irving 10 relieve the law pro-
vsd;ny FOR Il Of That feature which requires
III n,enayment to en,itle mao 10 vote.
xnd why should It not be donei The ex-
isfence or such al law Is only tending 70 ue-
grade OR people by cruising them 20 vvae
Cor tue party, without regard 10 prlncip'e'
who will pay their poll-tsx Tor tne1n-A~,
finally 10 sell themselves for the paltry SUN
III dollar. And then can any one con-
tend that man is better quailbeu "
vote. or can vote core intelligentiy, siler
ANNE candidate or candidates friend mas
na,d his bead.tax than beforei But, 10 30
\ lIst,e deeper, does not the right TO impose
e,,eh restriction u9on suffrage imply .ne
right 10 impose other restrictions! Again,
81 ! means OF inducing men TO pay tnelr
txxcS. the statistics show that there nave
been paid annually Into The revenue iewer
number OF captatloD-taxes since tnis *.
ouirement went into operation than oeIore'
Note, frst, that the last Legislature hao
the power 70 reduce this tax to i've cents
but took good care not TO dot. They were
afraid Of veto! But that sort OF fear ala
no, prevent them from passing the RIDDLE
BER0ER bill.
Note. secondly, that II, as the Readlust-
err platform declares, the poll-tsx be a vio-
lstion OF the fourteenth amendment, Judge
HuOHEs and Judge RIvEs are ready ana
willing 10 pronounce 1t unconstitutional
and the law which authorizes 1t null ana
void. Why not appeal to the courts s-'he
Federal courtsf Why devote two years 10
the performance Of task which can De
done 10 few weeks? Why call upon tue
voters to put down an unconstitutional
Iaws They msy aud no doubt will refuse
TO vote against it; so that at last you VIII
have 10 yield TO the tax or appeal TO tue
courts. Why not do the latter nowf we
kaow why. Because the law Is not uneon'
siitutioDal.
Note, thirdly, that the law requiring the
poll.tsx to be paid beiores voter could en-
ter bis children in the public schools was
repealed by the same Democratic Legisla"
ture which passed the law requiring the
poll-tax TO, be paid as a prerequisite to
voting. That law ought not to be restored,
although, as the Courier says, IL cqused The
poll tax 10 be more generally paid than 1t
now Is. IL was unjust to the children oil
unthrifiy parents. 1t deprived child OF
education because his father was too trlflng
to pay poli-tax OF one dollar year. Repeal
the pres nt law and fail TO restore the old
las, and how many negroes will pay tbelr
capjlation.tax None at all except the few
who can be made TO pay it because they
hold property.
Note, fourthly, that as the Courier wants
the tx paid. but not as prerequisite to vo-
ting. /, might as we'll declare that II Is IN
fsyer OF the law bnt opposed 10 Its enforce
meDt-as Ensign STEBBISs said Of The Maine
iiuuor law, For Is the law now stands,
man who wants 10 vote IN November, 1881,
need only TO have paid the poll-tax assessed
against him In February, 1901 IL The
Courier really desires TO see the poll'taX
collected al all. 1t must desire 10 see it col-
lecied within two years after Its assessment.
II any Resdjus,er wishes the poll'taX for
1880 collected at all. he must want 1t COL
Iected before November, 1881. And il it
il so collected, every man paying 1t will
be voter. Where, then, is there any rea-
son for objectiog to its payment as pre-
requisite TO sotIDgS
Note, filthy, that the voters for whose
benefit the Readjasters made their platform
denounce the poIl.tax, and whom they are
trying to force upon the taxpayers as good
voters are, according to the Courier, men
who actually sell themSelUeSt for The paItry
sum of dollar! Now, suppose we make
voters OF all such fellows: won't the same
dollar buy each ones voteS Will the
/" bloaied bondbolders" fail TO buy all such
yotess Can there be stronger argument
offered in its favor than the one which the
Courier thus sets up as an argument against
the law as il is!