The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1901-03-29
FRIDAY, MARCH 60. 1901.
THE cAPITATl0N TAN-..AGAIN.

A correspondent WiIil!lS liSiI MI
folk. SAWS that he would he Sorry 10
see The Times weaken in lis advocacy
of The capitation lax. III ought 10 GO
ms good our correspondent goes on,
..in The way of restricting suffrage Ill
1See,finr ont unworthy voters, both
white and black You have clearly
nointed this out. but Ut likely needs
still to be insisted on. But aside from
its value as 4 franchise measure, there
is another very important considera-
ton in its favor 4 larger school rev
enue is an imperative need in Virginia.
This is sufficiently evident 10 every
thoughtful man. ii is ON absolute
need. our sacred duty to improve Our
schools. Let us have the capitailon
1aN and let The revenue ihcrefrom be
turned into the school fund. The ilGh
man will not object do Il caliltat1on TAX
for so worthy Il cause: the poor man,
with half a dozen children ut school.
ought chee,fully 10 Try to pay an cS-
ira dollar or Two for their good.
-.Sometime ago one of the wisest and
hest OF our public men expressed him
self to me as being in favor OF lust
such 4 plan CT head-taX as that IN
sisted on by The Times de is Il COLI
ss.ryarive. man of wide experience aud
when he and The Times agree that a
certain thing ought to he done, the
rest of us have reason 10 give the mat
Ter careful consideration.
Our correspondent seems to have
misunderstood the position Of The
Times OH this question. There IS
t.al5ifation tax under The present law.
but The payment OF it is not madc a
prerequisite 10 voting. The Times mas
commended that if this should be cone,
if il should be required That the clri-
1ation tax DE paid twelve or eighteen
months in advance of the election as 4
prerequisite to voting. the shlfdess
vote would largely be eliminated.
THIS device has been tried in other
Southern States and has had the eff
feet 10 rid such States Of the Ignorant
and careless negro voters. and we nave
suggested that the adoption of the plan
in Virginia would have the same effect
here.
But upon Investigation, at the su@-
.estion OF Mr.. L. s. Thomas, OF
Smi1htield, we discovered that The
great bulk of negro voters in Virginia
have been in the habit OF pawn" tne;r
caDitatIon TAX. even though this IS not
required as a prerequisite TO voting
The number of delinquents is consid-
cradle. but nothing like so large as we
different when it is required that this
TAX he paid twelve or eighteen months
in advance, and it is TO be supposed that
in Virginia. as elsewhere, the IMPROVE
dent negro voters would not take the
trouble TO qualify themselves by pay
Ing this tax SO long before election
day. In any event. we believe that
the plan should be adopted If it shall
have The effect of Kidding the State
of the class of voters under discus
sion. well and good; If il shall have the
effect 10 make all voters pay their
head-tax. we'll and good also There
are more than 100000 voters in Nir-
ciilia who failed TO pay their pell-t.l1
last wear. We hold that Il man who
thinks so little Of the privilege of citi-
xenship as 10 fail TO pay his hcad-iaX
is not the right sort of a man to vote.
Me hold also that it makes a better
citizen of q man 10 make him 4 tax
payer Every .irsinian who helps to
riay the expenses Of State government.
who contributes in any WAY toward
The support Of the State, is 4 better
e 7 I e. L.
interest in the affairs Of State govern
ment that he would not otherwise
have.