Virginian-pilot. (Norfolk, Va.) 1898-1911, 1900-01-20
THE poLL-TAx QUALIFICATION.

once q provision of the Constitution,
placed there by amendment after Ere
constructions" and subsequently this
amendment was amended out. Neither
party was pleased with 1t. 1t required
both to provide a poll-tax fund, not
only forvoters to whom an annual tax OF
dollar was a real burden, but for all
voters, white or black. Democratic or
Republican, who preferred to save their
them. 1t has been remarked as & very
astonishing thing that so many appar-
emily respectable and well-to-do citi-
Zens stand all the day idle" around
the polls, waiting to obtain at least "a
days pay" for casting their ballots;
and it may be set down as a sure thing
that If the State constitutIonJbe again
amended so as to require every voter to
pay his poll-taX and show the receipt
therefor before he can cast his ballot
at any election. the throng of walters
will be largely augmented for both par
ties, and the receipts, If no more, will
have to be distributed.
Thus, at once. it is seen how the poll
tax may become n most demoralizing
means. infallably increasing bribery
fled with the dollar to pay the poll-tdx,
or with receipt therefor,-especially
If, after voting. they must return the
receipt for cancellation, with their cap
itation tax still unpaid. The appetite
grows by what 1t feeds on In these
cases; and he who finds that his poll
tax will be paid to secure his vote, will
not take long to see If more will not
be paid for it; and thus the State prosi
titutes the most sacred duty of its citi-
zens to their degradation. Why can
not government collect it's revenues
without resorting to such means? Even
II the receipts of poll-tax become great
~ enlarged Under such a system, under
what may be called 1.-The ballot-grab-
bers' law" Ur 1.-THE vote buyers easy
way to do it," is the increase salts
factory recompense, or justification, for
what. as we know from our past expe-
riencc, must become q regular method
of political prostitution.
The State. county, or city, as already
limited. does not always get the money.
though satisfactory receipts for the
taxes are presented at the polls by the
voters. Such receipts are not difficult
TO forge, or counterfeit, and there is no
danger in using them, If the voters on
them are required, after voting to re-
Turn them to the party distributor, to
be destroyed. Not rarely, an official,
duly authorized to collect and receipt
for capitation-taxes. will collide with
his party managers to furnish any
number OF receipts required, In blank
or otherwise. on condition that they
shall be turned to him. In such cases
money may, or may not be, deposited
to cover the receipts; but, at all events.
the receipts, having served their mr.
pose. may be all returned to the official
tho money deposited returned to the
managers. and the State not dollar
the richer, and the voters still owing
their poil-taXes! There are other tricks.
some of them requiring pretty heavy
"winking" on part of the election ottl-
GERS. The experience of the past teaches
us that all these tricks are played, and
the manifest effect is to debauch our
revenue collectors, our voters, candi-
dates and election officers.
While the nnD1ifip n
evaded to the injury of everybody and
the promotion of rascality, it may be
Operated against tt,
acknowledgements. in despite of them
selves. If the voter cannot present a
receipt for his poll-tax on election day.
at the polls. he cannot cast his ballot.
VI course. then, in county and
other elections where the vote between
the parties or candidates is close, the
thing to do, after providing (as indi-
| catcd) for your own voters. is to
Spike" or disable, all adverse voters.
Ihcre are several ways of doing this
to refuse to assess the voter, on some
excuse or preteXt, il he insists on it,,
after being neglected; to assess him
under the wrong name, or in some way
that may be used to exclude; to not
collect. or TO refuse to receive, the
assessed taxes. on some pretext; to re-
fuse to give a receipt on the ground
that the money paid Is due on other
lakes, or back and unpaid poll-taxes,
or to render it abortive by a misdate
or some other defect.