The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1881-06-21
n. pm .rax-Again.


The PoIl-Tax-Again.
Re,rrr,ur 70 an article which recently APP
v,ssrsd IN the Dispatch on the subject OF
fbe capliai,on tax, the Alexandra f.oa-
.sThe Picdwne tries TO deal With things
AZ ,hev ex,st, not as they might exist. II
me capltstion tax was collected, as tne Dss'
rnf.k recommends, there would ne 20
rronnd Of complaint, but II Is mol, anc toe
Mspafch knows as we'll as the Pscoy''ne
does why u Is not"
That's what we were trying TO get you 10
10. Now. don't eysde the question, buttoe
the mark, and define your position. lou
Indignantly deny that you are In favor OF
sbolIshing the cspitation tax. Very wen;
40 be IL. You declare that you desire tnaI
thai tax shall be assessed, and collected, ana
paid into the school fund. You OF course
propose that your party shall elect a Re-
sd,uster Legislature next fall, and that thai
Legislature shall by law provide means Of
assessing aud collecting the poll-tax. very
well, again. Now. when Is that tax
10 be collectedf Your pets now have
from February of 1882 to November
OF 1883 in which to pay that tax. II, there
fore, 1t Is paid within twenty months amer
its assessment, there can be no disfrsn'
chisemcnt. A man Offering TO register and
vote in November, 1881, does not have to
show that be has paid tax assessed ibis
year, but 10 show that be has paid tax
assessed 10 February, $780, Now, what
we want to know IS how much more
time than twenty months do the Read
busters propose TO give to their PETS
II you can't collect the tax in twenty
months, pray how will you ever collect II
from negroes that are always moving from
place 10 place, unless you make Its payment
condition precedent to votingS Recollect,
YOU declare that your party Is in favor OF
assessing and collecting this tax from every
voter. Granted. Then surely you must be
In favor OF collecting it within eighteen
months after Its assessment. And If you do
thus collect II from "every man." every
man will be a voter, and there will, we re-
peat, be nobody DISTINGUISHED, nobody to be
bribed.
But you airy TO deal with things as they
are" All right. Then read what your plat
form says. We quote:
ave believe the capitatiOn-tax restric'
lions upon the suffrage In Virginia to be 10
conflict With the fourteenth amendment TO
the Constitution Of the United States"
Now, show your faith by your works.
Deal With things as they are. Let the first
negro whom registrar refuses to register
as voter because he has not paid his capt.
tation tax apply III in Richmond) to
Judge GEORGE l.. CHRISTIAN for a ,nanda-
mus 10 compel the registrar to register
his name; on the ground that the law
is In conflict with the Constitution
OF the United States. There Is no more
necessity for striking the provision IN
question out OF the Virginia Constitution
than there was for striking out Of the Con-
stitution II Indiana the provision excluding
negroes from the ballot box. The negroes
voted in that State in virtue OF the fifteenth
amendment. The Constitution OF the
CulSu stdtcS oNCiifuCo az 0t"'c '""S """
constitutional provisions in conflict with it.
There is an ample remedy within your reach
II the law OF Virginia is unconstitutional.
You can have that law declared null and
void at once. You need not walt to have
the people vote upon it, nor for the Legis'
lature to act upon it. Go on at once and
set your colored voters free from that intol.
cradle tax Of one dollar year, which Grip
piles your party and keeps 1t out OF place
and power. Why waltz Why resort to
such devious methods? Why not end the
controversy at once and forever by appeal
ing to the courts!
Are you afraid OF the State courts! Tben,
&c to Judge RIvEs. He will be only toe
anxious to construe section 1904 OF the Re-
yised Statutes Of the United States In youl
favor If he can possibly do so. Try him.
and let the case 20 up to the Supreme Court
OF the United States. What's the sense Of
denouncing the Conservatives for continu
ing in force law which you have the power
TO destroy at once il il is unconstitutional
off It is unconstitutional" There's the
trouble. Your platform pronources it I'm.
constitutional. Your acts declare that 1t j:
so we'll known 10 be constitutional that vol
dare not attack it even in Judge RIvEs''
court.
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