The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1888-12-16
THEY MUST PAY TO VOTE.
uBv TAX DIGEST TO CLOSE TUES
1A DAY AFTERNOON.

~ prsb at collector McGo"ans
omce-An Taxes Must be Paia IN
o,.dor to Register for the Clty
Tloct,on-rhe Misapprehension That
Many People Have Regarding 'ne
1aw-What tho Law Is
Tav Collector ]. ]. McGowan said asst
r;cbt in an interview with the MORNING
- ~ chat the digest will close TUESDAY
at+arroon at ? o'clock for the collection OF
"a +axas-real estate personal and poll tax.
There has been, he said, a material increase
IN tbe amount of taxes collected THIS year
over the corresponding time last year, ana
:. hoe racessitated hard work, himself and
b;sassistants having worked until midnignt'
and some days until 10 o'clock in the morn
inc The tax collectors office will be open
.oTrorrow from 9 a. m. to Up. m, and the
Gav following for corresponding hours
when the office doors will be locked and the
work of closing up the books viii begin
THE RUSH TO PAY UP.
CAN'T MCGOWAN said that the polls have
been verv lively for the past few days, %,ooS
neonle having been paid at the close Oh Dust
hes Yesterday. OF this number ne ehIhks
tbere NAV be included some twenty hVe or
thirty who have also paid polls Tor past
Years Some, be says, have paid their pol
tar for the present year who nave not paiu
IN mast wears aud if the rule OF past years
;s sE1forced in the registration for the cleo
+jon NJ MAYOR AID aldermen, 1t will avail
notbinr with those who pay present poll
t.v and leave taxes due 10 other years I'M
nsid They must pay all taxes due, and the
entlre tax due, or they may not register.
A man who has come Of age since April
last is not required to pay in order TO regis
tor But thelaw provides that all shall pay
a noll tar. thew must return this poll tax
mr. nav double, and they must pay all other
taxes as well to entitle them 70 register and
vote.
DON'T KNOW THE LAW.
Cant MCGOWAN says that It is surprising
how many people do not understand what
* reonired OF them in the way OF tax pay
ing to entitle them to vote, as often as the
information is published for their beuetit.
Some think if they pay their personal and
real estate taxes that they are not required
N nav a poll tax, while others think ii they
nav their poll tax only they are entitled to
register and vote.
The general laws require the tax col
lector to issue # Jason Dec. 20 against all de-
linquent and defaulting tax payers of that
date. and the common school laws,
amended in 1887, require him TO deliver to
the board of education execution against all
who fail to pay their poll tax by that date.
This act virtually bars the tax collector
from collecting the latter tax after Dec, 20,
and as it is utterly impossible for him to
prepare, and issue these tax il fds in time
for the agent OF the school board to collect
them before the time Of closing the city
registration it will tend to disfranchiss
large number who fail to pay up within the
next two days.
WHAT THE POLL TAX IS.
An erroneous impression prevails regard
ing this poll tax 1t is a capita tax,
devoted entirely to educational purposes,
and has no connection with citizenship. It
is head tax on every male inhabitant Of
the state between the ages of q and GO
years, and is due by citizens and aliens
alike. Quite number of recently naturall
lied citizens are under the impression that
the tax is due then only from the date Of
citizenship; whereas, they owe it for every
year during which they may have resided
in the state, and their failure to pay the
back taxes will bar them, as well as native
born, from registering to vote in January.