The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1881-06-08
me Capitation Tax.


.pesd for ducat." The learned gen
,,emen who manufactured the MALONE
rs.,sorm and had It tclegraphed 10 New
YORK tweuty.iour hours before the un'ni''-
a,ed delegates from the country had ever
seen or read II. and before they bad nad q
chance TO vote upon It, put the following
sentence into IT,:
eve believe the capitsiion-tax RESTRICTION
upon the suffrage In Virginis to De IN con
fIict with The fourteenth amendment 70 tue
Constitution Of the United States.
In view OF the fact that bAwkss ota''
c.uynox,s state, ASrnoSY's State, HAw-
lsY,s state Massachusetts, Pennsyivan's'
Rhode Island, and Connecticut, whose NOM
inee Mr.. RrppLEBEGxa is,--all have simiisr
restrictions upon suffrage, and not even a
Republican Congress has dared TO reduce
auy states representation on account Vi
such violation OF the fourteenth amenu'
meut,, IT may seem unnecessary 10 argue
,csins. such a declaration as the Readluster
Convention made. Nevertheless II may 40
M harm TO let CAMERON, LEWIS, and BLAIR
know that they can't stand upon such a
n,auk az that. IL is not simply cracked.
II is already broken. On psge 26S OF DIS
9. Principles of Constitutional Ld1,' LAW
students series,) Published in 1880, Judge
THOMAS VI. COOLEY. Of the Supreme Court
Of Michigan, author OF The well'known
work on Constitutional Limitations" and
editor Of the last edition OF Story on me
Constitution" speaking OF the fourteenth
amendment, says:
alt proyided that when the right 10 vote
was denied to any Of the male inhabitants
Of a state, being twenty.one years OF age
and citizens Of the United States, or in any
way abridged, except for participation In
CRIME, the basis OF representation in Con-
cress should be reduced in the proportion
which the number Of such male cItiZeos
should bear TO the whole number OF male
citizens tweuty-one years OF age IN such
State"
OF this Judge COOLEY says:
"The provision IS general. II IS not linn
tied 10 freedmen, but 1t applies wherever
the right to vote is denied to male citlzens
of The proper age, or Is abridged for olber
cause than for participation in crime. The
state OF Connecticut denies the right OF
suffrage 10 all who cannot read, ana Massa-
chusetts and Missouri TO all who cannot
both read and write; and many OF the
States admit no one TO The privilege OF SUI.
frsye unless he is a taxpayer. SO Ia
The majority Of the States citizen abb
sent therefrom, though in the public SER
vice, cannot vote, because the State requires
as condition the personal presence OF the
voter at the polls OF his municipality. Pos
sibly il may be said, in respect to such
cases, that the representation OF the state
should be reduced in proportion to the
number of those who are excluded because
they cannot read and write, or do not pay
taxes, OF are absent. II Is not likely, how
ever, that any such position would he sus-
tanned. To require the payment Of q capt
totion tar is no denial Of suffrage; it Is de-
handing only the preliminary performance
of public duty, and may be classed, as may
also presence at the polls, with registra-
ton or the observance OF any other prellm'
mary to insure fairness and protect against
fraud. Nor can 1t be said that TO require
ability to read is any denial OF suffrage. TO
refuse 10 receive ones vote because he was
born in some particular country rather tnan
elsewhere, or because OF his color, or be-
cause Of any natural quality or popularity
which 1t would be impossible for him 10
overcome, Is plainly denial OF suffrage.
But ability to read is something within the
power Of any man; it is not difficult to at
tain 1t, and It is no hardship TO require it.
On the contrary, the requirement only by
indirecton compeIs one to appropriate
personal benefit he might otherwise neglect.
II denies TO no man the suffrage. but the
privilege is freely rendered to all, subject
only TO condition that is beneficial In It's
performance and light in its burden. IL
property justification, or the payment OF
taxes upon property when one has none to
be taxed, Is made a condition to suffrage,
there may be loom for more question"