The Montgomery advertiser., 1903-10-18
AN ADDREss TO BE HEEDED.

The address of Mir. Cleveland in Chica- i go last wednesday evening Is in every way well worth reading It is eminently characteristic of the greatest Democrat now living as well as the most eminent and well informed private citizen of this Republic Every sentence Is marked by the patriotism, hard facts and strong common sense which abound in all his public utterances.
 not political it was strictly political speech in the broadest sense of the term. It was an appeal to Republicans. Demo- crats and all others to take on them selves part of the burdens and responsi- bilities of government in which all good citizens are interested 1t was not an appeal to any man to vote the Demo- cratic or the Republican ticket, or the ticket of any other party, but it was an earnest appeal to all who believe in good government to do their duty to their party and to the country.
 The advice given in this address, Is as applicable to the members of one political | and condemns the too common habit of remaining away from the polls and from all political meetings and allowing our | public affairs to be controlled by a few who are generally personally interested It asks every man to be partisan so l far as ts<assist his party in the selection of good men and thus assuring to all the greatest of earthly biessins-a good and just government.
 1 To Aiabamians this address should ap- peal with overwhelming force. It is humiiiatmg toaBay it, hut our people are not doing their duty. They are not com ing up to the full measure of good citizen- ship, and they are not acting the part of patriotic citizens. Our Constitution and laws impose certain duties on each male citizen of the State. Among these, and one of the most important of them is the payment of poll tax by those men over 1 years of age and up to 45 years. There is no penalty for the non-payment of that tax, in the strict sense of the word. There is no method of enforcing It's collection. No property is bound. no levy can be made and no fines imposed for failure to pay.
 So far as legal obligations extend the payment of the tax is strictly voluntary but there is a moral obligation resting on all who are subject to poll tax which no good citizen should evade. In the first place the money goes to the public schools and certainly no better object can be found in our merely human affairs than the education of the children of Alabama Education is the foundation of good gov- ernment for without 1t there can be no intelligent citizenship. Ignorance and bad government are twin sisters, and one is responsible for the other. An unedu- cated citizenship is bound to be curse to any country. '
 There Is hardly a man in Alabama who has not some one near and dear to him to be educated ia the common schools of the State. Those schools are partly supported by the poll tax of $1. 50 imposed on each male citizen within certain ages. The man who refuses or neglects to pay that tax has to that extent hindered the cause of education. and he is imposing or others the duty of paying for the edu- cation of his children or others who may be dependent on him. He is robbing the school fund. violating his obligations and , shifting his burdens to the shoulders oi others.
 The penalty for failure to pay this tax is loss of suffrage. From now until the first day of next February all citizens |, subject to this tax will have the oppor.
 tunity to pay it. If they failed to pay in 1901 they must pay for that year and for each ear since that time. All ar. rearages must be paid or the party can not register and vote. In other words, a man who Is subject to the tax and fails , to payy it is not invested with all the rights and privileges of citizenship. He is an alien, so far as the elections are concerned, Because the tax goes to the schools. and because its payment invests the citizen with one of the highest and most sacred privileges of free govern ment every man should consider it both duty and a pleasure to pay it. And yet the returns of poll tax receipts show that about 50 per cent of the white male citizens of Alabama within the poll tax age have not thought enough of education and of their suffrage rights to pay the tax. It is not saying too much to say that this is both a humiliating and shame full showing. It is not an exhibit for any man to look on without blushing.
 And in line with MT. Cleveland's ad- dress comes this duty of every man to prepare himself to vote. Not only should he prepare himself, but he should exercise right which is also duty It is a duty which is as important to the humble citizen as it is to the highest. How often we hear the remark made by the farmer. the mechanic or the professional man: There's no need for me to go to the polls for the politicians will have everything their own way"
 With all respect to such citizens We say that such reasoning is untrue and 1t is an evasion of duty. Those who may be designated professional politi- clans form but very small per centage of the entire electorate. If what we may designate "the common people" will turn out and do their duty, honestly and faithfully there can be no such thing as ring rule. The private citizens SO far out number the political ringsters that they can smash any machine and emas.