The weekly Iberian. (New Iberia, La.) 1894-1946, 1902-12-20
WHY SO:
Republican Idea.


got into a little tantYnm of rage
lately under the eli oral caption
of s'Shamefal abandonment of pub
Tic duty in which We note the fol-
lowing:
"The question of the self disfran-
chtaemeat- Of tie willie voters of
Louisiana by their faiiare to pay the
poll tax or TO be reg'stered, or TO GO
the polls, is something that portends
the very worst consequences to the
State.
When it is recalled that in the
recent election for seven Representa-
tives to the United S ates Congress
the entire aggregate did not make
up IS many as $4,000, although un-
der existing laws the voting strength
should be six times that number, OF
about 100000, the election returns
make a pitiful show.
When ask what that means, the
only reply that can be made Is that
most of those cltlzers Of the State
who are qualified to be voters have
deliberately abandoned all interest
in public affairs, and as an evidence
of this shameful disregard OF duty,
they fail to register as voters, or
they refuse TO pay a poll tax, which
is a condition required to secure
suffrage, and they will not take the
trouble to go to the polls to deposit
as vote
| Now, brother, let us reason to-
gether. Why do you say "self-
dlsfrancbisemen,?" No man In
Louisiana has DISTINGUISHED him
selr or WI do SO. We believe there
Is no man OF common sense In the
United States who would disfran
chise himself. \ II have surely
got the cart before The horse.
: Does not the constitution Of
| Louisiana disfranchise all men un
t der sixty years of age? Is this no
a standing edlct OF our laws? Then
does not the edict say that a MAJ
may come out from under the ban O
this DISTINGUISHING edict, aud re- EN-
franchise himself for special cleo
ton occasion If he will pay tor thu
privilege withheld, two dollars. a
certain times, and at certain place
for which two dollars he shall get
certificate of evidence that he has
re-enfranchised himself? That is
it takes all this unhitcbing to ge
the horse before the cart for
special pull.
There Is no use to try to dodg'
the logic of the law. All NAL
) citizens so years of age in Loulslan;
stand today disfranchised undereeu
/, law, except those who have, for th
last two years, done an act 10 Inf
the penalty of the law. If they wer
not dlsfrancb ised they would no
have to pay their two dollars t
lift this political curse on thei
; manhood and American CITIZENSHIP
Let us state this condition of fact
fairly and not by sophistry sa'
observation-disclosures" a. tern
, which reflects on the manhood an,
character Of our male citizens un
der 60 years of age. We wish t.
defend this manhood and characte
against the encroachments of pollti
cal robbers.
The law of LOUISIANA disgrace
and hUmillate sail this class of he
citizens, and In some instances rob
thsm of their two dollars. For es
. ample, all those who have paid u
/ to be free, who before the next elet
ton. should die, have lost thei
money, without tle stipulated cor
sldesatlon, for the law fails to pa
ut back to heirs. This ls indee
the most stupid trafieklng in vote
, that ever cursed a state or countr
pretending to be free and demo
cratic.
No man of self respect, who ha
not an immediate political pull Q
interest in his vote, will lift thi
penalty on his scalp. No man VIII
Is not In with the machine crow
will pay hIs two dollars to vot
when he has no chance to win GU
IN some way. The tool and hi
money often part, but the wise ma
withhoids his dollars from the slo
OF the political machine. And. .
far as office is CONCERNED IN Louis
lana the business man, the merchan,
the lawyer, the doctor and minister
and that GREAT armp nf d.,lu iho