The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1901-02-26
TUESDAY. FEBRUARY &C, 1901
THE VOTING PRIVILEGE.

The Philadelphia Press says that me
main purpose of calling the virginia
Convention is the disfranchlsemeht OIL
all The colored voters and the saFihS
.,f tho ballot 10 every white man.
We are not so sure ABOUT init
There is strong sentiment III TINS oiate
in favor of giving the ballot 10 al
..oiored citizens who have proven tiial
They are canable of voting intelligent
ly and that they have the true inter-
ests of the State at heart. There are
in the State of Virginia quite num-
Der of such colored men IN the cites
and in the country districts. III 'he
cities. they have established them
selves and are making Improvement
all the time. They conduct them
selves as good citizens and they en-
Joy the respect and goodwill OF the
whites. In the rural districts, there
are many coloreG citizens who own
their farms. who till the soil indus
1riously and successfully, and are rs
much interested as their white neigh
iors in low taxes and good govern
ment.
We say that there is Il strong senti-
,nent in Virginia liz opposition TO The
disfranchisement of such citizens SIM
ply because they are black.
The Times is in favor of eliminating
The ignorant and vicious negro vote,
which has been such Il curse TO this
State We believe that this is neceS-
sary 10 fair elections and to political
freedom in Virginia. But in our opin-
ion this can be accomplished by the
Very simple device which has time
md again been suggested in these
columns 1t has been tested in other
States and has proven itself 10 be
effective. This is 10 require the pre-
payment of the poll-taX one or two
years in advance as prerequisite
10 yotin. lf such a measure shall
be adopted, the shiftless negroes OF
lhe State will never take the trouble
10 qualify themselves, and their White
leaders viii never undertake to pay
The tax for them twelve months or
lwo years in advance Of the election
This plan WAS adopted in Arkansas
and again in Louisiana, and the effect
of it Was practically 10 rld these
States of the negro vote.
But some viii say that under this
plan 4 great many white people would
lose their vote. Our reply is that II
u white man does not think enough
of his ballot TO protect it by paying
his poll-taN one or two years III adj
vance he puts 4 very small value upon
The right OF franchise, and it will not
make much difference whether he
votes or not. It seems TO US that
what the good citizens Of this State
now desire 10 ascertain is What sort
OF persons ought TO be allowed TO vote,
and this would be 4 fairly good test.
The man who esteclnS highly the yot-
ing privilege is the man. generally
speaking. who will cast his vote in
leliicently and conscientiousiy, but if
a man does not care much about the
privilege of voting. IL he is SO indif-
ferent that he will not take the trouble
10 qualify himself by paying small
lead-tax. the presumption is that he
VIII uoI nc MY lstiA tASoiai tii'otis NV
ne disposes of his ballot on election
day
1t is a great privilege TO exercise the
right of suffrage in a government like
ours. each citizen, as he walks up
TO the ballot-box, is 4 sovereign in
himself, and the equal of every ether
citizen. and ehe poor mans ballot
counts as much as the rich mans bal
lot. is ii possible that any coed ci'i-
zen, who properly appreciates this
great privilege, will fail to put himself
In position TO vote for the sake OF
saving a dollar: We cannot believe
ii. Under the plan which we propose.
a citizen may qualify himself or not
as he pleases. If he should fail to
qualify by the prepayment of the poll
s 10y IL y,oiIld i,e his own fault and no