The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1896-05-05
me ROLL TAX QUESTION.
What Prominent Leader Of the
IfhcrnI club Has 10 say About 10.

Liberal club Has To say About Ia.
one 0f rho prominent leaders OF the Lib
craI club takes exceptions 10 the state
ments made ia an article published IN
Sundays Morning News. by member Of
che Citizens Club. with regard TO the posi-
ton taken by that faction. he says:
--The poll tax question is a mighty STUN
bling block in the path Of the Coo Coo
Club. and every other day or so. some
Weu-known member OF that organization
pops UP 20 cite the law as il does not exist.
or TO interpret IL 20 suit his side Of the
ease.
'-rhe law in the acts approved Deem
Der, 1sg2. December. 1885, and in years pre-
viOus imposes a poll or head tax upon
each and every male inhabitant Of the
state. between the ages Of twenty-one and
sixty years" which tax shall be for edu-
cational purposes only. and the true intent
and purposes Of this law were explained
honestly and intelligently 20 the present
grand jury by the solicitor general in his
recent letter.
ANY male person between the ages mem
toned, inhabitating or living in any pOr-
ton of this state on the first Of March Of
this OF any previous year since Jan. !. 1873.
owes one dollar poll tax for the support of
nothing 10 DO with the case, ana cltlzen-
ship does not enter into the question. Per
haps, that w-lS-m. OF the Coo Coo Club
does not know that fOreigners-nOn-cl
zens-livlng on the soil of Georgia are re-
qulred by law 10 pay this educational tax.
That Washington incident recited 10y him
is nothing unusual and your authority
on poll tax law should have known that
residence in the District OF Colum bla does
not carry with IL any political franchise,
ana That those who live there from cnolce
or otherwise have to comply with the laws
of their respective states If they desire
70 retain and exercise their political rights
and privileges.
''The word poll. as connected with tax
alton and as now used politically, Is so
generally misunderstood as to require an
explanation. In the earlier days Of the
states whenever question Of public in
terest arose In any locality the voters
were called together, and after discus
sing the affair a line was drawn, on either
side Of which the opposing factions took
their stand until the polls or heads were
counted 10 determine who were IN the
majority. Hence, when the more modern
idea Of a secret ballot prevailed. the term
of polling the vote was improperly al
lowed TO continue as expressing the cast
ing Of the ballots. But the poll, or head
tax. is not in any sense a political tax,
for every citizen must have paid all taxes
required Of him, whether for head, pro-
fession or property, before he can vote
and foreigners or non-citiZenS cannot
vote, even though they shall have paid
their taxes.
ut is not my desire to criticize the re
cent special presentment Of the grand
jury. but / shall ever contend that II is
not within the power of the partisan reg
istrar to punish people for false swear
ing committed when certain names were
entered in the lists of voters.
THE Liberal Club VIII insist that the
citizens do their fun duty in purging the
registration lists of all names, Irrespective
of fractional lines, who are disqualified by
law. and viii give to the public a roll
comprising the names of several hundred
Citizens W have
been caught in the act Of illegal registra-
ton"