The Wadsworth dispatch. [volume] (Wadsworth, Nev.) 1892-1899, 1897-10-13
A GOOD LAW.

some OF the Silver Party papers OF
this State are greatly agitated over the
law recently passed to enjoin the pay
ment OF poll taxes and are atten pting to
make political capital out of it by assert
ing that it was a law intended to do great
injury to the Silver Party, and for which
the Republicans are responsible.
Let us see what the facts are. The bill
was introduced in the Senate by Senator
Summertield OF Washoe. he being one of
the two Republicans in that body. In
due time it passed the Senate without a
dissenting vote. Afterwards it went to
the Assembly in which body there were
also two Republicans, and when the
bill came up for final vote was passed, "a
yeas, 6 nays. Yet the Republicans are
responsible for this so-called Infamous
Law"
The Evening Chronicle few days ago
took credit to itself of calling the atten-
tion of the public here to this law by
copying from the Times Review and
commenting thereon.
1t occurs to us that the Silver Party
paper OF Storey county should be the
last to say anything about this matter
1t is generally admitted that no law is
enacted unless there is necessity for it.
Now what was the necessity in this case
The report OF the State Controller shows
that Storey county with its registry list
of about 1000, exclusive OF the Chinese
(who are also liable for poll taxi paid
into the State in poll taxes for 1896 a
little more than either Ormsby, Lyon,
Lander or Eureka, each of which coun-
ties had about one-third of the votes
that Storey had in that year, showing
that about 1000 of the voters of Storey
county paid no poll tax in 1896, with a
Silver Party Assessor and Tax Collector.
We wish to say, also, in connection with
the history and responsibility OF the
passage of this bill, that Storey county
had eight Silver Party votes in both
branches of the Legislature when it
passed and only one of them voted
against it. Hence we say. if the law be
such infamous one, the Silver Party Of
this county should not say much about
it. We hold. however, that The law is a
good one, no matter who is responsible.
And il Mr.. Sommerfeld is to bear the
burden of it, he will do SO as gracefully
as any man i'll the State, making no a.
polgies for his action, fully believing that
any effort he made in securing the pas
sage of the bill was in the best interests
of the people of the State.
The foregoing from the Virginia En-
terprise will meet with the hearty ap-
proval of everybody in this section.
The majority of our people are mer-
chants and their employees, railroad
employees, and ranchers and their en-
ployees. There never has been any poll
tax dodging with them. The merchants
and ranchers are among the heaviest
taxi payers in the State, and when they
turn in their sworn statements TO the
Assessors no polls are missed. Especially
are railroad employees pleased with
Senator Summerfield's measure, because
they do not wish to be looked upon as
favored class, as they always have been
heretofore. No railroad employee has
missed paying poll tax. Indeed he
would be overwhelmed with surprise
if on going to the pay car he should not
be handed that little slip of paper which
tells him his pay is three dollars short
because the Assessor loves him to that
extent. And the railroad man who is
always in for square deal dislikes the
fayoritism which singles him out and
let's 25OO of his fellow citizens be given
the "go by
No citizen who is in favor OF good gov
ernment can find anything to condemn
in the new law. Rather is it to be COM
mended as being a just and necessary
measure. and that it was necessary
one can easily be convinced by read
inc the arguments put forth by the
Silver Party papers.
It does not speak very well for the