The Pascagoula democrat-star., 1901-02-08
NUMBER 50.
THOSE WHO FAILED To PAY
THEIR POLL TAX CAN
NOT VOTE
The PFAYUNE BUREAU. J
2lS Capitol Street,


The white manover q and under 60
gears Of aye who let's this day pass
without paying his poll tax has de-
liberately .dsfranchiscd himself. He
cannot vote in any election, primary
or general, without indictment, and
The penalty of conviction is six months
in Jail and tne Of 5000. Moreover,
his name will appear in the list of poll
tax delinquents, either in "A newspaper
or posted at the door Of the court
house. In addition he cannot sit on
the grand or petit jury. In other
words. his own voluntary act has made
him a political 0utcast, has branded
him as one willing to allow his child
ren To be educated az the public
schools by the tax none, of his, neigh
b0rS, who pay their tax and who
qualify themselves to vote and sit on
juries.
In this connection there arises a
matter of the highest Importance to
lawyer and ltigant, as well as To
State and county. 1t is that Loll tax
delinQuents may get on jures WITHOUT
the knowledge Of the fact that they
are dellnQuents. so far as he cuuro
and court officers are concerned. An
attorney on either or both sides of the
case may know that he is IA poll tax
delinquent, and that under the con
stition he is not, for that reason. al
lowed tn sit en- the juries. But lle'is
in too delicate position TO object to
him for that cause. even il he posi-
lively knew lie was IA phi tax delin-
qu3nt. for relative ar friend
of the man thus dismissed may be
called next as IA juryman. and resent
the putting off by the lawyer Of his
klnsmah Or Il lawyer may sus spect
that talesman is a poll TAX delin-
Quent. hut he is too circumspcct to
ask him. for should he not be, and be
accepted as juryman, the lingering re-
sentiment at such suggestion may pre-
judicc the case IF the lawyer asking;
such question.
Now that the judges are charging
the grand juries to indlct poll tax de-
linQuents who participate in the pri-
naries and the Legislature has pro-
ylded that the names Of poll tax de-
linquents shall lie published so hat
they be known Of all men, it would be
a good idea for circuit judges TO also
charge the boards Of supervisors who
make up the jury list that it is not
sufficient to go by the registration
books, for man may be a registered :
voter and not a qualified elcct0r, but
that they should take the list OF poll
tax payers for the two years last pass
ed as shown by the books of the tax
collector, and make up the list Of
jurors from the two together, thus en-
forcing the law in the matter or az
lowing none but qualified electors to-
sit on Wries. A juryman, like IA voter,
should be taxpayer. The constitu-
tion requires this. Jurors sit upon
the life, liberty and property of tax
payers As well let Indians not taxed
sit on juries and vote as toallow white
men who deliberately disfranchise
themselves violate the constitution
by voting and sitting on juries.
The taxpayer are patient and long.
suffering; but, as once before stated,
endurance has its bounds. They will,
not longer submit to the unjust un.
righteous and Illegal participation III
the affairs of government by men who
neglect or refuse to qualify themselves
to vote or sit on juries by payinga
paltry poll tax of 81 a year, as pre-
scribcd by the constitution and tllf
laws of the State, which all public OF.
ticialS, when the take the OATH OF
office, are sworn to uphold and en-.
force.