The Washington times., 1901-07-17
TO RAISE LABOR'S STATUS.
A Strong Resolution Introduced at
the Richmond Convention.
The Court of Appeals Arraigncd for
It's Decision on the Fellow Ser
vancy LAW - The Division of the
Poll Tax Agreed Upon.

RICHMOND. July 16.-Delegate Thomas
L. Moore in a resolution introduced in
the Constitutional Convention today, Sc
verely arraigned the decisions of the Su-
preme Court of Appeals of Virginia in its
Interpretation of the fellow-servancy
laws of the State. He asks that the de-
cisions of the court be set aside by the
abolition of the present law. and says
that the highest tribunal in .he State too
greatly favors the employers of labor as
against the working class
Mr.. Moore urges that his resolution be
made a constitutional provision, as he
says it has been demonstrated that the
Legislature will not remedy the condi-
tion of the working class by antagonizing
the corporations. He cites several in
stances of bitter fights having been made
in both the House of Delegates and the
Senate and says that by constitutional
proviso this condition of affairs will be
obviated.
1t will be recalled that the fellow-ser-
want law figured conspicuously in the
early days of the present gubernatorial
campaign. when it was charged. although
never proven. and stoutly denied, that one
of the candidates had helped to defeat
the fellow-serrant bill when before the
Legislature.
Mr. Moore, who is Republican. says
that he introduced today's resolution at
the earnest solicitation of many of the
laboring people throughout the State and
Is congratulating himself on having
stolen march on the enemy"
By vote of II to 10. the Suffrage Com
mittee today decided that the poll tax
of s. already agreed upon shall be di-
vided equally between the State and the
county in which it is collected. The entire
fund is to be expended in the improve
ment and maintenance OF the pubic
schools The average vote in Virginia for
the past ten years has been about 3e5,ooO
With the imposition of the poll tax the
vote will probably be cut down to about
1000 This will give ir round numbers
over half a million dollars annually to the
schools of the State.
The advocates of the prevailing senti-
racnt in the committee said that with the
present amount appropriated for schools,
increased by the poll tax fund. Virginia
will have the best and most efficient sys-
TEN of public instruction ir the South
The Committee on Education will, with
the additional money to draw from, pro-
vide for a complete reorganization OF
the public schools.
The closeneSs of the vote IN the COM
mittee was occaSioned by the fact tnat
many of the members held that at least
% cents of the tax should be given to the
respective counties for general expenses
This fund, it was Urged, could best be
expended in the Improvement of the pub
lie roads.
After the committee had decided upon
the distribution of the poll tax. Delegate
taxes, State and Federal, be made a nee
essary qualification for exercising the
right of suffrage. He spoke at some
length on the subject. and urged that
the wealthy tax-dodger should be made
10 subscribe to the same rule that it is
proposed TO apply TO the poor voter. Mr..
Moore was ably seconded by Delegate
of Petersburg Mr.. Flood op-
posed the proposition, claiming that IL
would be an unjust discrimination against
the property owners of the State. He
said that the law already made the pay
ment of taxes compulsory, and that the
proposition of Mr.. Mooic was useless.
Delegates Lindsay and Anderson con
CURED in the opinion advanced by Mr..
Flood. The proposition was lost BY a
vote of Ii to s.
sidered by the committee is the property
qualification. Here the tug of war will
commence. The committee is widely d.
vided on this question, and ii Will be
difficult to secure an agreement.
On the floor of the convention II ID
hard to find any two members who en-
tertain the same opinion as TO the SUI
frage clause. This is evidenced by the
resolutions that are being In
troduced daily.
Nearly every member is opposed to
suffrage amendment that will disfran-
chise single white man. 1t is now he
ing seriously debated whether or not a |
poll tax qualification will not debar few |
whites from voting. The educational and |
property qualification will undoubtedly !
cause many white voters to lose their cit
izenship, and the entire scheme is being
considered.