Morning appeal. [volume] (Carson City, Nev.) 1877-1906, 1897-09-18
THE POLL TAI LAW.
The Times-Review Regards it As
A Republican Trick.

The Times-Review of Sept. 18th,
sounds the following note of warning
on the poll tax bill:
An important change was made in
the Election law by the last Legisla-
ture. 1t will require next year ire
production of Two Poll Tax Receipts
as a prerequisite TO registration. The
receipts must be for the years '97 and
'9S. so every person under go years Of
age who fails to pay his poll tax this
year.. will be deharred from voting at
the election next year, ven il he
should pay the tax for the veal 1898.
The bill WAS introduced by Il Repuh-
lican State Senator, who is regarded
as a scheming politician md pre-
sumably vas not actual solely by a
desire to increase the State revenue
when he introduced the measure.
Prominent Republicans estimate
the vote reduction, in consequence OF
the law at 25 per cent, which would
aggregate 1900 votes 10 '9S as against
10, 900 in '96. They also boastfullv
claim that their party will be gamer
20 the extent Of seven-eights of the re
duction. The first estimate is GER
tainly a reasonable and conservative
one, and it is no reflection upon the
membership Of the Silver, Democratic
and Populist parties to admit that the
major portion of the unregistered
will be from their ranks. There are
hundreds, and perhaps thousands, Of
miners and Cthe; workingmen in the
State who have not steady employ
ment and who need every cen they
a earn to support themselves and
their families. 1t is mainly this class
which will represent the $500 who
from necessity will fail to qualify,
and as more than seven-eights of
them are free coinage men, it ia not
unlikely that the Republican reckoing
may prove nearly correct.
At all events, the situation should
command the immediate attention of
and prompt action o., the silver men
Of the S'ate. We are reliably inform
ed that the Republicans are working
quietly, bat industriousiy, in most of
the counties, and it stands the silver
folks in hand to get a vove en-" auA
to exert the msrlves a little 10 prevent
a greater falling off from the free
coinage vote, through n~On-1egistra.
ton than a possibly be avoided.
We must not become over confident
on account Of Onr sweeping majority
In the State last fall. That was Presi
dental year aud the silver vote was
practically consolidated in Nevada
We OF the Silver party must not forge
that our first cousins, the Democrats
aud u seconds cousins, the Popu
lists, have local organizations which
they MAJ nOt choose to forfeit through
misrepresentation on the State ballot
1t is certain that the Republican lead
ers are calculating largely upon suct
division, which, with advantages they
expect to gain from a poll tax claus
in the Election law, they hope will ED
able to muster p%luralities for thei1
State and Legislative ticket.
1t should first be seen that as few
men as possible of any or all OF the
three free coinage parties become dis
qualified from registering on accoun
Of the poll tax clause, and the mex
step should be to unite the severa
divisions in solid phalanx against tn,
common enemy. who is banking mp
on the poverty of the laboring classe.
and building his hopes upon the fac
tious folly Of the bimetallic element il
the State.