The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1881-07-12
The poll.Tax.

oy Of the men who clamor for tue aDohsiV"
az the poll.tsx qualification, and yet declare
taat they are In favor OF levYlpg ano cor
,ect,nr such a tax as contribution 70 tne
school fund. Just here, we VIII say 'na'
we have never penned line charging tue
Nhfo or any other Journal with being OPP
no.ed 10 the public schools because It was
opnosed 10 the pcIl-tsx qualification OF vo.
ters; and II any such article has appeared
anywhere in the columns OF the DaSpa1c''
IL wss not pot there by US.
The Wig. strangely enough, says not .
word IN reply TO that one OF our PROPOSE
lions which we think mos urgently de-
mauded IS attention; and therefore we VIII
restate that proposition, and call that Jour
paps attention 10 IL: AS the law now siauus'
man who wants to vote In November, 1881,
nerd only TO have paid the Doll.taE assessed
against him in February, 1891 II the wing
really desires to see the poil-tax collected at
ALI. Il must desire to see il collected within
two years after It's assessment. IL It wishes
the poI-tsx for 1880 collected at all. 1t must
want Il collected before November, 1881.
And IL that tax is so collected, every man
paying IL will be voter. Where, then, Is
there any reason for Directing TO Its pay
ment as prerequisite to voting!
Again The Wing says that the right to
vote Is guaranteed by the Constitution oil
the United states 10 its fourteenth and Ill
teenth amendments" This declaration is
made Ia the teeth Of the decision Of the SUI
preme Court OF the United States 10 the
Slaughter House cases. That august tri'
bunal said. what indeed nobody ought ever
10 have denied, that the fourteenth amenu-
ment does not guarantee the right TO vote.
The right TO vote is not among the "privi-
leges and immunities" guaranteed by the
fourteenth amendment; whilst the fifteenth
amendment expressly recognizes the right
OF every State to disfranchise for any other
reason than "race, color, or previous con-
dition Of servtude." The fourteenth
amendment uses these words:
"No State shall make or enforce any law
which shall abridge the privileges or immu'
mites Of citizens Of The United States"
The Court itaic'zes the words italicized
above, in order TO show that 1t is not the
"priyileges or immunities" OF citizens OF
the several States that are thus protected.
but the privileges and immunitles OF citizens
Of the Unlted States. The Court goes on TO
tell v hat these "privileges and immunities
are, aud says:
"They Those privileges and immunities]
may an, however, be comprehended under
the following general heads: Protection by
the Government, with the right 10 acquire
and possess property Of every kind, and'to
pursue and obtain happiness and safety
subject, nevertheless, 10 such restraints as
the Government may prescribe for the gen.
eral good Of the whole"
That is The end Of argument on one point.
hut toe fourteenth amendment goes fur
Their: 1t recognizes the right OF State to
disfranchise voters for any cause by pro-
viding that II any other men than criminals
be DISTINGUISHED, the State DISTINGUISHING
them shall lose part OF its basis OF repre-
sentation in Congress. Yet concerning that
very provision the Wing says:
"Tbe fourteenth amendment forbldS any
and every denial and abridgment OF suf-
frage except for participation IN rebellion
or other crime.'"
We have already quoted the supreme
Court of the United States to show that the
WHO Is mistaken as TO one Of its positions.
This last statement has no foundation what
ever unless 10 the following words, which,
as every reader will see, do not pretend to
"forbid any and every Genial ana abridge-
ment OF suffrage except FOR participation IN
crime" Here is the language OF the four
teenth amendment:
"Seciion 2. Representatives shall be APP
p0rlioned among the several States accord
ing to their respective numbers, counting
the whole number OF persons in each
State. excluding Indians not taxed. But
when The right to vote
Is denied 10 any OF The male in
inhabitants OF sneh State, being twenty-one
years OF age and citizens of the United
States, or in any way abridged, except for
participation in rebellion or other crime,
the basis OF representation therein shall be
reduced in the proportion which the num-
Der OF such male citizens shall bear to the
whole number OF citizens twenty.one years
Of age in such Stale."
Surely that does not forbid any denial or
abridgment OF suffrage. On the contrary,
II means, and was intended to mean, nothing
more than that II negroes were denied the
right TO vote, they. Ike Indians not taxed,
should be excluded from the basis Of repre-
sentalion. When the fourteenth amend
ment was proposed, negroes were included
10 the bgss OF representation, but were not
voters. Thus the South was about TO have
her representation largely increased at The
same time bat al; her representatives would
he elected by the whites. The fourteenth
amendment was expected TO prevent that
result.
The Wing says that Virginia by her
Legislature bound herself not to disiran-
ehise ,anybody not DISTINGUISHED by the UN-
DEawooD Constitution. Now, this is a fine
plea in the mouth OF the Wing, which has
over and over again declared that the con-
tract which Virginia made in 1871 with her
creditors ought not to be complied With,
and shall not be complied with II 1t can pre-
vent, although Governor WALKER, Gov
ernor KEMPER, and Governor HOLIDAY,
and Legislature after Legislature, and the
Court Of Appeals Of Virginia, and the Su-
preme Court OF the United States, have all
declared II 70 be a contract binding upon
the State Of Virginia. Let us refresh the
HKig's memory. Here Is what the Supreme
Court OF the United States said:
1.-The funding act made the bonds issued
under II payable TO order or bearer, aud
made The coupons payable TO bearer. The