The St. Mary banner. (Franklin, Parish of St. Mary, La.) 1889-1931, 1902-11-22
THE POLL TAX QUALIFICATION.

The amendment offered to Arti-
Gle 1913 of the Constitution; rela-
tive to the poll tax, having been
loss with the others at the election
held on November 4th, the law re-
mains the same as before, which
means that before the voter will
be allowed to cast his vote he must
have paid his poll tax for two
years next preceding the year in
which the election is to be held.
The BANNER was opposed to
the poll tax qualification, not be-
cause we sought to deprive the
Common schools of the revenue
derived therefrom, but because we
,considered the provision wrong in
principle and detrimental to the
Interests of the general people;
and because we were of the opin-
ION that the same and even a
greater amount of money could
Be collected by another process,
which was not only open to adop-
ton but much simpler and surer
in it's application.
We are confident, in our own
mind, that the defeat of this
amendment grew out of q misun-
Demanding among great many
people, as to the real circum-
stances of the case. We noticed
that most Of the opponents of the
amendment were those who mere
J " believed that the schools ought
to have the dollar in question, and
who concerned themselves no
further regarding the matter. But
any fair-minded person, who will
takesthe trouble to acquaint him
self with the question will readily |
zee that the schools are in an in
Anitely more precarious condition
now than they would have been
had the amendment been adopted.
Under the Constitution the poll |
tax debtor either pays the tax or
he does not; if he docs not, he
can not be forced, under a recent
decision Of the Supreme Court.
Therefore, it is only those who
wish 70 either contribute a dollar
Of their own volition, to the public
school fund or to preserve their
right of franchise, who will pay,
and all the balance willlnot pay,
whether the tax is assessed against
them in connection with the as
sessment upon real property or
not.
y The State election takes place
In April Of the year 1904; and the
sufragist before he is qualified to
vote, must have possessed him.
self OF the poll tax receipts for the
TWO years next preceding that
year Ia which he offers to vote. AL
AK receipt for the year 1904 will
n0tavail; so the only two receipts
which the law can mean in that
instance are those of 1902 and 1908,
both Of which must bear date DUR
~ the year for which the tax is
lue. And as there is only thirty
line days between now and the
md OF the year, including holi-
lays, and as one tax receipt is
Ibsoiutely valueless without the
'ther, every citizen in the parish
Z st. Mary, who has not already
aid his poll tax for this year, will | !
tand disfranchised for the State
lection Of 1904, unless he pays it
vithin these thirty-nine days.
We would also call the attention
{ our readers to the fact that the
oil tax may be paid separately
.om the ordinary ad valorum tax
Dsessed against real or personal
therefore, ifone is short
money and cannot pay the I,
hole tax, he should pay the poll
u any way. There is nothing
nrticuiarly urgent about the pay L
lcut Of the other taxes; the law
akers had wisdom in the daysI
hen thAt process Of tax collection
- de3ieed, blowing some por-
81 81 time for the lapse Of mem-
y, % that after the delinquency
'the debt the debtor's liability