The Houston daily post. [volume] (Houston, Tex.) 1886-1903, 1903-01-27
THE POLL TAX QUESTION
Mass Meeting at Turner Hall Ad
dressed by Local Speakers.
VARIOUS PROPOSITIONS ADVANCED
Discussion Pro and Con Upon the Favor
able and Unfavorabe Phases OF the
Amendment to State Constitution.

The citizens mass meeting called by the |
Houston Labor council met In Turner hall |
last night to discusstt poll tx amend.
ment was well attended. The weather
interfered; however. the hau was about
half filled and the speeches were listened
to with interest.
Mr.. l.. e. Swope called the meeting TO
order and stated the purpose Of the call
Issued by the Labor council in tie resolu.
ton.
Mr. J. c. Harris, formerly OF Galveston
laid down the proposition that TO pay taxes
and to vote and 10 serve on jurics were
privileges; that these privileges marked
the difference between freemep and slaves,
Mr.. Harris put forth another phase Of the
poll tax proposition. He called attention
to the fact that the statute provides only
legally qualified voters are eligible for
jury service" The question was, there
fore, raised, IF the payment OF a poll tax
IS condition precedent TO legally qualify
/ ing voter, ia not the failure to pay the
| poll tax a bar to jury service under the
| statutory provision? If 1t Is, then will not
many business men avoid the payment Of
poll tax in order to evade jury dutyT'
Mr.. l. T. Dean. whose familiar Name 10
Farmer Dean, did not feel that the pay
ment of taxes was so great a privilege
The audience was with the speaker on this.
IF | had my way announced MI
Dean, II would fne every citizen who
failed to vote, and II the citizen persisted
in failure, | would disfranchise such neg
ligcnt citizen"
He advised his hearers to pay the poll
tax, to organize and to watch the other
fellow. In the course OF his remarks, MT
Dean stated that he has paid ont SOM
! ~ f,t., IN
congressional election IN PennsyNanla II
which he was Interested.
The chairman announced DR., Urwitz as
| the next speaker Some enthusiastic spirits
In the audience called for Morrison, anc
continued To cali for Morrison. the chair
man insisted upon the program he'ng cav
ried out as arranged. MT Morrison tooi
the platform and stated that he would no
address the meeting until called upon D!
, the chairman. DR.. UrwitE then delivered
his address.
! nav the poll tax and save their sufrag
, privilege He said that he had been reare'
! and educated under a Foreign goY'Tnmen
and that he had become an american q,
i8en nv cool, calculating design, and not
: as some of his hearers, by accident @
birth. He Felt thar this gave him as goo
title to American citizenship ns the othci
, and certainly was as good proof Of HI
] Sbo,ce ana appreciation OF his rights an
? privileges as an American citizen
y, The keynote Of nr. Urwitz's address was
, ! Intelligence and not money suouIu DC u
n qualification for suffrage"
= Mr.. John Lovejcy, Mir. James Charlto
D and Mr.. John KirliclSs also made speech'
d; which were atteutively listened 70.
u Mr.. W. r. Morrison made short speeel
= hut one which elected enthusiasm I. 4
; idea was that the poll tag. was wrong ~
il was a property qualification and M
$ ,he amount OF the tax would be gradual
- increased until the iahoring man Is elm
2 mated as n factor IN elections He. urge
= Tho mon to pay their poll tax and vot
: and. in the meantime. go home and STUD
!, economies. a..
once the following points were hrouR
~ out as ruled upon by the attorney genera genera
~ 1etes from wear TO year and must all
!. he paid before p man can become a qua
~ Aed voter A citizen, therefore, 70 ne
81 voter, must keep his poll tax paid up
The meeting adjourned quietly. y
nnr afFer the meeting and discussed {
10 propositions advanced during the event.