The sun., 1902-05-25
DISFRANCHISES WHITES, TOO.
LOf I>ItNt COMPELLED TO
tNI>D ITS SLFrRtGE Plan.
The Poll Tax. Aimed Asain-s Negroes.
Ohj-e'rd To by whites Constitu,ion
Likely To he Changed This Faii \ N.
expected Enccts ot the Present system.


Ngw ORLEANS, MAY ~ The Louisiana
Legislature, now IN session. IL expected
To change materially the suffrage claus.
of tho state Constitution The amend.
! in"nt MI probably he submitted 10 q popu.
lar vote AT the Congressional election this
fall and will be adopted beyond question
! II II believed
IN" present suffrage system ~ Louisiana
whl"h has heen much di-r,sss~i In and on,
OF Congress, and has h.en NOR. or I.ss
| initiated IN South tarulIna and Alabama
mas 's~n IN oI-ration only two year, yet
IN 'ha' short tim. an irr-pressible oppusi-
''"i h"s grown up against Il II has oJ,-r-
a'ed very differently from expectations,
ana u l. found that some Of the principl,,-
ann theories upon which u L. based do
not work a. they were eSpac'ed To
III" chang" PROPOSED il not N the famous
sfahdiaihrr claus, which has hren the
chief point Of attack. but, A. a matter
81 Tact has proved II trif'ing Importance
IN prsctI', The feature which II il songh,
70 abolish Is the requirement ,ha, In order
10 No'" citizen must Tay his poll tax two
ycarS IN advancr
The poll-tsx clause was horroxsd f,o,
the Constitution of Mississippi. and In 4,
IL du. IN" eliminar ion uf nip.-ten,bs
of III" negro voters who arr o,berris.
entitled 20 ~" outrage The provisio,
went lnto oI-'rstion IN 1870 and the Ar,
"hN'lnh ~ which II will IT, tested will IL.
ths Congressional election tins fail m.
only on" ~ which ~ will he m force
ne f"li-taN provision l. inten, innallv
hl~"uras"f of votes and u IL naiuraiIy
most dlsauurasing To tn. poorer yo,.,.
lN" VI" mgf"-, ESPECIALLY as M att.m,,
- nad" to collect ia. roll t,x II W..
rgh'N thought IN Missi,siIui that The
msi" Who o''~ not louk far ah.ad who
- lnpr"vidcnt ana cannot IL. induc,J 20
PROVIDE for TN. ballot two v.at. II, "a
vance. would fail to pay his poll ,aI.s 4,
nm" ana would thus pi>fTaHchi~.. hiu...lf
4, ihls "sp"ctati"n wss fully rpalized
"alS ~ W" t"-ti"r class II NJ groes pa,d
lh"f p"ll taxes IN full. hut when TN. s,c.
non OF lNS came around and th. R.puhli
'an- put up no stat" ticket and the Re-
lhhIcan voters were ask,-I tn chons.
b,'w'-'n Democrats and PnpIl sis. /, seemed
nAe waste of money Ia pay tn. taxes.
snu many n'gf"s's ahandoned II So the
mgr" Nu," has grown smaller with every
year although IN" nuIntsr of educated
h'gt'"S hH- steadily incras.d
Nt"h th' Louisiana tonstitutional Com
N"iti"h cnhsuiet the Democratic leaders
W MisslNrilpi ~ 10 he h's, ~. ans ~ rr-
du'ihg the number of negro voters 10 n
minimum q wls infnrtn-d that tho t,,lI-
taf pf"r-dui-li~ vas tn. mot effective /
~" I"i-'dN provision was ilsr, fof.
MAJ" paf II tho Louisiana Constitution
h'H even while M" Mississippi leaders !
w"f" recommending this plan to IN.
i"uislaTa Constitutional ConvrI tion. thor.
M'f" inurmuis ln their own Stat. agalusi il |
t'- original view of "a. hall,t WAS that A |
"hi'" man was 50 proud II hi ,it z.nshiD.
50 Interested IN poliii' that he would take !
Laf" 10 nay his poll tax 10 retain bis y,,e |
l he Tt-~tlf Has "A,
man who did nov raw IN. tnx could |
htt N't" AZ regular "ie, tion, il - true hut |
he c"u'd vote ~ ~" Denociatic primary |
ahd as ~" latter IN the real e., ton a ballot /
10 no, nr'h matter Thus, II came about
hat the whites who were d.frapcb,-.d /
D ra,is" of their failure q ray their poll taxes
dominated the Democratic candidate. nj
u" primaries and he Democratic who raid
%" taN"s aud thus qualified ih.mrelv.
y el"fing these candidate.
In" electorate of tho State has grown
i"adiiy smaller, until IL hook. a. n |
,nly fraction Of the voters would retain
b" ~uNfag- The Mis-i--ipp Legislature
M passed. several laws on The subie,t ard
las finally shut the dclinouents on, of the
which acton. u - hopcd will
tir some - hem up 10 pay their taxes and
egain the 'allo'
Morrovrr, 10y making IN. poll TAX
rre1uisit" FOR voting tn. State schools
uner'd In" pod taN-. e. Ia IA. -upuor,
! the schools and under the present sys-
I'm th" -chpoi revenues La We diminirhed
~" opposition To ia" plan In Louisiana |
based on similar eSTrri.nc,-- ~ tho.c |
Mississippi Tho-. who demand IL.
rpeal point - by-el.c, ions In Ea~i Ration
"uge, Acadia and other parishes A. proof !
lat ti" expectation that all whit. mon
'ould pay The tax u an errpucuils one. .
~ large majority uf tn. white voters | :
'~'r"n'ii-'d themselves. They also do 4,