The Montgomery advertiser., 1901-06-05
THE POLL TAX PROPOSITION.
Certain Safeguards Very Necessary
 If It is Adopted.

If It is Adopted.
 The Advertiser has the permission of Judge J. w. Lapsley of Anniston to reproduce the following letter from him to Judge Coleman of the Commit tee on Franchise in the Constitutional Conventions:
 Anpiston, June 1. 1901. Hon. Thomas W. Coleman, Chairman of Committee on Suffrage: My Dear Sir-I regret to observe that none of the poll tax amendments, which have been offered in the conven- tion, go far enough to guard us against the corruption We seek to prevent. The purpose,is to restrict suffrage by refusing 1t to those who do not pay poll-tax, thus cutting off a great mass of careless, ignorant and purchasabie voters.
 Experience elsewhere, however, has shown that vote buyers have come for- ward and paid poll taxes for these pur- chasable voters, and thus voted them. To obviate that, it Is proposed that the poll tax must be paid long time be- fore the election day, trusting that the vote buying candidate will not risk buying his men so far ahead of the election. This is all right so far as 1t goes. and will generally head off the individual candidate from paying the tax. But there are other contin- gencies to be guarded against. Local issues, so called moral questions, class legislation in various forms excite us sometimes more than party politics, and the coming struggle can sometimes be seen a long way off, and though in- dividual candidates will not put up their money to buy votes. communities, cliques, corporations, moral reformers, saloon keepers, and other combinations will band together to raise funds to secure the purchasable vote long while in advance of elections; and they will provide the money for poll tax pay ments.
 Again, the great capitalists and em- ployers of labor, the corporations, great and small. are often persecuted in the | courts by damage suits, are constantly at war with tax assessors, and are always in fear of hostile legislation. They have an everlasting interest Ill elections, local and general, and may safely pay taxes for their thousands of employees, and take 1t out of their wages, and thus control the election. Professional politicians also, party leaders. big and little, may deem it good investment ,o pay poll taxes for scores and hundreds of voters, and have them in readiness to sell out at a large profit to anxious candidates when election day comes round | Bear in mind that this paying or | tax for another Is done tC influence votes. It is bribery; and we had bet ter not require a poll tav payment 'un-
 less we can prevent this bribery. by I making sure that the voter pays 1t for
 himself. It is only by his paying Il for himself that he gives evidence of | those qualities that make him . | worthy voters.
 l In the proposed amendments to
 Article VIII, Sections 1 and of our
 present constitution that I sent you | this:
 First-By providing, That the voter
 must pay for himself. Employers l shall not pay for employees. One man | may not pay for another, or lend him
 or give him money for the purpose. It | shall not be lawful to contribute to a
 fund to pay poll taxes. A tax paid in
 violation of these provisions shall not
 entitle man to vote. If he does so. 1t
 shall be illegal voting, and punisha-
 ble.
 Second-To the number of those in-
 eligible to vote or hold office as emu.
 merated under Section B. l would add
 those who4 violate the above provisions
 by paying poll tax for another, or con-
 tributing to a fund for the purpose. ol
 who allow their poll taxes to be SC
 paid.
 A man ambitious to hold office will
 fear to violate this law, as his oppo-
 nents may spring it on him and have
 him thrown out upon a contest as in-
 eligible to office. The present consti-
 tutional inhibition of violating or hold ing office by those convicted" of bri-
 bery Is a dead letter. Every election
 of late years has been more or less
 tainted with bribery, as no one cares tc prosecute: --------
 The far reaching importance of the
 great work you have on hand must bt
 my excuse for intruding my views upor
 you.
 Very truly your friend,