The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1895-02-02


Not satisfied VIA . constitution and
laws that practically dfsfsanehise the
coao~ed people by reQuiring an e1uca-
ffo0ai qualification they do not possess.
there Is now movement in Mississippi
10 prevent the free education Of shear
children. Lake the voting restrictions
ii u sought TO be- based On what are
assumed 20 be Just grounds. There
are AZ present" says the North Missis-
sfppl Herald. "5fo. 600 eaucabie children
In the state Of Mississippi OF these
27e00o are wisfEe and 310. 900 are black. =
Then Il seriously follows this statement
by the question: Now who pays the
taxes?" and sriuusphanf1y answers.
'the parents Of the white children.
From this premise It argues that II
Is tina for thu whites to stop esiucas-
Ing the baacsu. It says thai Tor thirty
years they have been paying the bulk
OF the taxes. and that II IS no longer
fair that these taxes should Be devoted
70 educating 100. ooo more blacks than
whites. II complains that - the law
now operates It frequently happens
that I'm COUNTESS where the blacks pre-
dominate public schools run five or
SIX months. whEze In the white counties
they run only three or fodr months. At
this sai state OF facts this Mississippi
newspaper ssTeady TO shed tears.
But the usst fiesnous crime Of the
black citizen In the Judgment OF this
unique journal is not that he does not
figure In proper ratio on the regular
assessment roll. but that he does not
pay his 81 poll tax. It says that ''all
have noticed how conspikz1ously abb
sent he ID from the polls on election
day. He prefers, or many OF them
do, to forfeit his right to vote rather
than pay 81 poll tax" This il indeed
Refreshing. After adopting a consti-
tuition and enacting laws devised ex-
presxly To prevent the negro from voe-
Ing. complaint Is now made that he
does not vote. Not that the vote is
wanted. not that his right to vote Is
but because he will not march up to
the captains Office. pay his 81, run the
gauntlet OF an official inquiry into his
educational qualifications and finally.
II successful, cast his vote with the full
knowledge that unless it be agreeable
TO the judges Of election 1t will never
be counted and returned as cast.
This Journalistic relic Of the old Ku-
kinx regime Is bound to prevent the ris-
ing generation of the colored race from
being better qualified by education
than their fathers to vote under the
election laws of mississippi. 1t urges
upon the legislature the advisability
Of passing laws providing that the
taxes paid by whites and blacks be
kept separate. LET the amount paid
In by the whites" it says. ''be applied
to the education Of the white children
and the amount by the blacks to the
education OF the black children. Also
let the appropriations be made upon
the same basis" Verify this Is draw
Ing the color line with emphasis. Why
not go further. grade schools as
white" "threc-quarteas white" half
white" 'three-quarters black" and
black" Then ss,bdivide the taxes and
appropriations accordingly. The diff
fereM grades all exist In the popula-
ton or Mississippi and ought to be pro-
vided for with mathematical precision.
Aater all. this would not go far enough,
for why tax the property OF bachelors.
spinSters ard childless married per-
sons for educating other peoples
''hsats.' black or white? They are
surely as much entitled to exemption,
and 1t Is as fair to draw the line In
this way as on color.