The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1892-08-03
$500

The So poll tax is troubling the Till
/ NANTES. The Governors friends are
trying to explain it away; but there is
/ too much variety in their explanations.
One says the Governors recommends
| ton can't make it law that the const1tu-
tion has to be changed, and that the peo-
pie will have an opportunity OF voting on
It. Let's see what is in this:
The Governor wants constitutional
convention. His friends came near pass
| ing bill to call one at the last session ;
and that bill provided, if we mistake not,
| that it should become law without being
submitted to the people. he doesn't want
| the proposed new constitution submitted
| to the people. He wants to put come
things in it that the people don't want
and TO leave out some things that the peo-
ple do want. IF the purpose were to sub
NIT the proposed new constitution to the
people for ratification or rejection, doesn't
everybody know that the cheapest, east
est and shortest method would be by the
way of amendments to the present con-
stitution
Another friend of the Governor says the
SO poll tax ,yin make the negroes, pay
more for tb : schools. Yes; and it will
make q gr. many white people pay
more, while q tmany others will pay
less. In this way: The movement to
put the s. poll tax into the constitution
means also to take the 2-mll property
tax out, so as to leave no constitutional
school tax except the $3 poll ta1-any-
thing additional would have to come by
way Of special levy. The reader can
readily see that this Is not in the interest
Of the poor man. 1t is taking tax on or
property and putting 1t on heads.
The opponents Of the IS poll tax say
great many negroes will not be able to pay
S.. and that they will therefo1e be re-
quired to go to Jail, at an expense TO the
county. They instance the fact th8t hve
negroes are in Jail now because they are
not able to psy the 81: poll tax, and that
their expense to the county, including
costs of prosecution, dieting, etc., is about
$50. They insist that if the poll tax were
S. q very large number would not be able
to nav it, and would in consequence have
to 60 to Jail and be sustained fhere by the
county. In reply to this argument, the
Tillmanites say "Put them on the chain
gang and make them work the public
roads."
There are several objections to that:
/. Their working tho roads would not
bring in any money to tho schools.
Q. It would not be long before there
would be some white man also on the
chain gang because Of inability to raise
the s..
8. It isn't light to put man Oh hae
chain gang because be is too poor to pay
q So poll tax. Poverty is not crime,
and should not be treated 60 such.
No: the way to have good schools is to
let the poll tax remain 81 aud thsa Jet all
the school districts do as so many are
now doing-yote special tax to MAKO
It is not surprising that Q man who is
beyond poll tax age should favor the SO
poll, nor that large property owners,
should favor 2bolishing the 2-mill school
tax on property and putting it on the
heads ofthe people. but for the people at
large, and especially for the poorer people,
the s. poll tax would prove o decided
hardship Observer.