The Farmville herald. [volume] (Farmville, Va.) 1890-1934, 1903-05-15

Chase CITY, Va, May 4, 1908.


Chase City, Va, May 4, 1903.
To Honorable j. f. Ryan, Speaker {
the House Of Delegates of Virgins
SRI have the honor TO submit m
response 10 the resolution adopted b
the house Of delegates, calling for IN
opinion as to the proper constructlo
Of the constitution Of the State, "rt
lative To the payment Of poll taxes as
prerequisite To the right to vote ate
Jan. J., 1870" in the particulars men
toned in the resolution.
Before considering the several en-
quiries propounded, it will he well t
remember that 10y the terms Of section
/ Is Of the constitution, no person cal
vote I'm Virginia unless he shall be frs
/ registered a. a voter in accordance will
the provisions Of the constitution. 1t il
necessary a's0 TO distinguish the re
quirements as to the payment Of pol
taxes a. prerequisite to the right {,
register aud vote, prescribed rs to tn,
voters registered after Jan. /, 1904, from
The requirements IN that regard as t.
the voters enrolled prior to that date.
The only person TO whom the pre-
payment Of any poll taxes applies as q
prerequisite To the right to register are
those who apply for registration after
Jan. /, 1904
There l. 10 such requirement as tn
the Registration Of those who are en-
titled To be registered upon the perma-
nenl'rolls during the years 1902 and
1908 under the registration ordinance
adopted 10y the convention.
Il airing IN mind these features Of the
suffrage plan embodied in constitution.
ami having especial reference to section
~ and u Of that instrument, my an.
swer To the several inquiries PROFOUND
ed Will he better understood.
| now proceed to re-state those en-
lulrles and to answer them in their or
der:
THE FIRST QU ESTION.
lst. "When does the poll tax. as pre-
requisite Ia the right TO vote begin to
accrue?
To this, my answer is as follows:
,a) As to person applying for regis
ration after January !, 1904, it begins
With the pOll-tax which was assessed or
'ssessable in 1901; for, by section 20, he
required, before he is entitled to be
egistered, to have paid to the proper
Ulcer all State poll taxes assessed or
ssessable against him under this or
he former constitution, for the three
ears next prece ling that in which he
iiers to register"
a person applying to register during
he year, 1904, must have paid the
tate poll tax Of 81 for each Of the wears
Wl aud 1902 assessabe against him
nder the former Constitution, aud the
tate poll tax Of 81 50 for the year 1903
'sessed Or assessable under section TX
the present Constitution. Ofcourse.
lls requirement does not apply to the
'll-laXes for any year in which the
'pllcant was not, by reason Of age or
'Sldence, legally liable to he assessed
lO) As to a person, registered in 1902
lSO5 on the permanent roll, this re-
ilrement begins with the poll tax of
90 Tor the year 1903, assessable under !
e present Constitution, Section 81,
describing the prepayment Of capita
N taxes assessed under the present a
Institution only a. a requisite to !
e right to vote, before he is allowed =
vote at any election. Ii
In 1900, the voter, registered after a
nuary ], 1901, must have paid the "
II taxes assessable against him for d
years 1902, 1908 aud 1904 fr
Before being allowed to vote at any al
elton in 1905, the voter registered i'm ~
= or 1903 must have paid the poll a,
les assessable against him under the a
sent constitution, namely, those for th
years 1908 and 1901. u, ~
'tler 1905, the requirements in re- bo
CT to the prepayment Of poll taxes an
sssable will he the same as 10 the ha
ers registered before Jan. /. 1904 "a
they are as to those registered af.
that date. Fla
SECOND QUESTION. Or
I'd. as 1t necessary that poll taxes
The three years preceding 1901 be Ms
to entitle an elector to the right TO n;
in 1904 ?" I
MS inquiry has already been an -
req IN my response to the preced-
question.
person not registered in 1902 or
/, desiring to vote IN 1904. must
paid all State poll taxes assessed
'sesssable against him for the three
prior to 1904 before he can be
''ered' and he must be registered
re ne is entitled to vote.
person registered in 1902 or 1903
pay the State capitation tax Of
Tor the year 1908, assessed or as
hle against him under the pres
institution before he can vote in
THE THIRD QUERY.
II the poll tax becomes effective
ID after January, 1904, at what
is the poll tax as prerequisite to
ght TO vote, due and navable