Herald and tribune. [volume] (Jonesborough, Tenn.) 1869-current, 1897-01-20

|
proper opportunity and facilities for
exercising the right OF the elective fran.
chise, The Dortch law, while ostensi-
bly, based on the Australian system,
was specifically designed to disfran-
chise certain class of voters and to
throw difficulties in the way of voting.
1t was avowedly partisan measure
and has been used for partisan pur.
poses. Instead of helping the voter in
the discharge of his duty as citizen,
the law confuses him by its ballot ar
rangement. 1t provides that assistance
shall be rendered the blind and the
manned in voting, but it practically
imposes an educational qualification
in disregard of the Constitution, in or
der to exclude the illiterate from the
ballot box. Whatever may be said in
favor Of an educational requirement
in the exercise of the elective fran.
chise, it can not be rightfully main.
tained that such requirement should
be enforced by trick of legislation
and an evasion OF the Constitutional
safeguards.
The Governor recommends the poll
tax law and recommends that not only
shall the payment Of the poll tax for
the year preceding be made prerequi-
site, but that the payment of poll taxes
for every year be compelled before q
citizen be allowed to vote. In discuss.
ing this feature of the law the Gov.
ernor shows his partisan snimus by
emphszing the fact that foreign money"
was sent into the State during the last
campaign to pay the poll taxes of citi.
zens 10 order that they might be quail
fed to vote. This thrust is made at the
Republicans and the payment of poll
taxes by them is held up as horrible
instance of corruption, while the no.
toriously sudacious and corrupt mani
pulation of ballot boxes by Democratic
election officials and the many fraudu-
lent practices resorted to by machine
election heelers to make wrong counts
of ballots that have been legally de.
posted, come in for no word of speci-
fed censure.
The fear expressed by the Governor
that repeal of the poll tax election
qualification would be $50 hurtful to
the public schools, white and black
alike" has all the suggestion of sophis
try when it is considered that the en-.
actment Of law requiring the pay
ment of poll tax for two years instead
Of one as voting prerequisite, and
forbidding the payment of q poll tax
by any'other than the voter himself,
would inevitably reduce the revenue
from poll taxes TO a minimum to an
amount, indeed, which would not ex.
ceed the sum that would be paid in poll
taxes were such payment not made a
qualification for voting. The makers
OF our election laws were avowedly &C.
tuated by the intention of ruducing
the number of voters by the poll tax re-
quirement The effect of the law was
to induce Democrats and Republicans
and interested parties in local elections
to raise funds to pay poll taxes for vo
ters who were unable to pay or were
Indifferent about voting. This, oi
course, brought more money to the
school fund, but, since under the oper
alton of that law the Republicans in
the last election paid more poll taxes
for the voters than the Democrats paid
the Governor recommends that law
be passed preventing such method Of
payment, and recommending the more
onerous requirement of the payment oI
the taxes for at least two consecutive
years. The recommendation is in &C
cord with the partisan spirit of thu
Dortch law, which had for it's main OBJ
ject the disenfranc chisement of class
and which in its practical operation
not only discriminates against the ne
groes, at whom it was directed, bu
against thousands of white voters.
This poll tax law has been abomina
bly, abused, as might have been expec
ted. 1t has given opportunity to ant
has tempted the loose system of the is
suance of blank tax receipts aud tn
corrupt practice of using one receip
for many voters. The payment of tn
poll tax receipts for voters to tn
proper officer, when it has been due t
comply with the law in order to enabl
citizens to vote, has not been 80 repre-
hensible by any means as the loose o
, fraudulent methods adopted in the lo
cal elections. The requirement of sue
payment as qualification for voter
necessarily leads to abuses, and tn
fact that the constitutional provision
adopted at time of exceptional dis
turbance and agitation-was sllowe
to remain imperative by 50 man
Democratic Legislatures, is proof tha
it was not regarded as wise provision
In nearly all the States no such re
, quirement is imposed upon the voter
Nashville Banner.
Lung soreness is forerunner of Sc
| rious trouble. II you feel the slightes
, indication. DIR. Bells Pine Tar Hone