The Caucasian. (Clinton, N.C.) 188?-1913, 1901-01-10

Enrco montns'
WHAT THE POLL TAX PROVISION
DOES.
The following press dispatch Will
give &C me idea OF the vast number
OF citizens In Louisiana who will be
DISTINGUISHED under the new con-
stitutionsl amendment:
"New Orleans, Jan. 4.-The new
poll tax provision In regard 10 sun
rage which went into operation In
Louisiana on January /, has cut
down the number OF voters In the
state nearly, II not quite, one-hAlf.
The constitutional suffrage provis-
lon which became operative Janu-|
airy ], 1898, shutting out certain IL
literates, cut down the registered
vote from 100000 to 1000 0. and
in New Orleans from 81 ZOO TO A.
600. The city trt asurer reports to-
day that only 20 sos Of the register
ed voters paid their poll taxes be
fore December 81, 1900, and will be
6ntlL tu 10 VOVc NJ Juo NohbiOoo'N"
al elections In 1902.
"This means q vote not In excess
OF Is 900. The registered negro
vote, which was l4,O0O in 1898, and
which was reduced TO 1900 In 1899,
will be reduced by the operation OF
the poll tar law to few hundred In
1902. Reports from the country ar
TO the same effect, that not more
than half the voters have paid their
poll taxes, and by their failure to
do 50 they have disfranchised
themselves. In lberville Parish,
with 10000 population, only I'll
voters have paid their poll taxes
and will vote IL Ia not likely to
exceed 500 or 600.
"The total Is not yet know n for the
whole State, but the indications
are that the new suffrage require.
ment, the payment Of poll taxes
two years IN advance OF an election
will cut down the number OF per-
sons able TO vote In Louisiana In
1902 to under so 600. What the ac-
tual vote will be cannot be guessed
but probably bet Seen 10000 ano
10000
The analysis OF the vote as indi
Gated above reveals most start
ling situation Ia Louisiana
Just think of 1t, the normal vot'
OF 100000 reduced to 10O, 900 or les
under the operation OF an amend
mept apparently adopted only 10
the purpose OF "preserving whit
supremacy" t?) yet half OF the vo
ters Of the State a-e disfranch sed
This Is indeed a most deplorabl
situation, b Cause 1t places the pc
litical power OF the state In tn
hands Of u very few men; In othe
words It gives absolute power to
small minority to control affair
This was not intended by the wis
men who framed the Constitutio
OF the United States. They inter
ded that the principle OF msjorit
rule should be perpetusted In thi
country.
BY the imposition Of poll ia
requirement 1t wi l be Seen ths
nearly half Of the voters In Louil
lana have been dlsfranchised. Tho
constitution, as recently adopted
requires every voter to pay his pc
tax two years before the election
and IL he fails in this duty he loss
the right to vote.
This same poll tax feature Is
part of the Constitutional Ament
ment adopted by force and fraud
In this State 1t r, quires ever
voter to pay his poll tax on or b
fore the first day OF May in tt
year in which he offers to vote
This requirement., six months
advance Of an election, and in ii
spring season when farmers ha,
the least money, was made deli
erately for the purpose of disfra
chising thousands of our 'armir
population, 81 as to transfer all p
litical power to the control of CO
rupt machines in the towns al
cities.
No doubt the Simmons ballc
stuffing machine had this in vie
when they framed the infamo
amendment.
It will be observed that the abo
dispatch states that In one par.
with a population of 10000 poop
there are only I'll voters who ha
paid their poll tax in order to gu,
ify themselves for voting.
II now seems that the poll I,
feature will prove to be one of t
greatest menaces to the polite
rights and liberties OF the mass,
The amendment has operated
the injury Of thousands OF viii
men In Louisiana and it will ha
the same effect in North Carolin.
There will probably be an efYc
on the part Of the legislature
mAoltaA khz -.