The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1906-09-16
BOWIE DISCUSSES
POLL TAX MATTER
Good Features of Mississippi
Law Pointed Out
INTERESTING COMPARISONS
The Makers of Alabama's New consti-
tuition Went Further Than the
Necessities Requlred-Rem-
edies Suggested by Bowie.
To the Editor of The Age-HeraId

To the Editor of The Age-Herald:
You are exactly right in the contention
that the poll tax provisions In the new
constitution need amendment. The truth
is that the trainers of the new constitu
ton deserve to be always held in CRATE
full remembrance for their wise solution
of the vexed suffrage and other problems
but they were so anxious to maintain
white supremacy in the black belt forever
secure that. In my opinion, they undoubt-
eddy went too far The fact is that the
cumulative, voluntary poll tax system
was a device for the purpose of protect
ing the black belt against the possibility
of the return of the negro question, and
so far as the motive Is concerned, we are
all thoroughly In sympathy with that idea
now. The truth Is, however that they
went further than any state has gone,
and further than any necessity required
The proportionate number of negroes to
whites, in Mississippi, is far greater than
It is in Alabama. In fact, we have ma
jority of white in our state. while there is
a decided majority of negroes In Missis-
sippi; and In some counties In Mississippi
the negroes outnumber the whites in the
ratio of fifteen to one. They adopted in
that state a poll tax provision fifteen
years ago, which has fully and amply pro-
tected them; and in its details it is far
wiser and more wholesome than the plan
adopted in this state. The Mississippi
plan, briefly, is that the poll tax is
lieu upon taxable property, but that pro-
cess Of garnishment will not lie to collect
it. It is further provided that the county
commissioners in any county can increase
the amount of the poll tax, where it is
deemed necessary, not to exceed SO per
annum.
Missssippi's School Fund.
They have not only secured themselves
Just as effectually as we have against
the menace of the negro vote, but they
have largely increased their school fund
through the poll tax provisions. and they
have not diminished their voters to the
extent noticed in this state. The fact is
that with a population of about one-half
the white population of Alabama, they
have quite as large a vote In the pri-
maries, indicating that their Suffrage plan
has not resulted in political suicide on
the part of any considerable number of
white men.
The vice of the voluntary poll tax plan
is that it encourages the commission of
political suicide and the neglect of public
duty To say that a. man himself Is to
blame, or that he DISTINGUISHES himself, is
beyond the question That is not the is
sue; the public welfare is of greater i'm
port than the welfare of the individual,
there is a great body of n-participants
in the government and most especially
when that number is growing with every
year and must, in the nature of things,
continue to grow. so long as the present
plan stands. The argument in favor of
permitting a man with taxable property
to voluntarily refuse to pay part of his
tax. upon condition of surrendering his
right to vote is just as Illogical as If the
legislature were to pass a statute con-
demning murder. but encouraging suicide.
The truth is that great public harm will
result from an open encouragement and
invitation to men of means to neglect a
sacred duty to themselves and to the
public, and to offer to them a premium
for such neglect. If it be wrong, as 1t un-
doubtedly is, for a man to bride another
is 1t not equally wrong to permit him to
bribe himself?
The poll tax is a part Of the educational
fund of the state. 1t ought to increase
year by year, but 1t has suffered very
serious abridgment since the provisions
of the new constitution offered a direct
premium of $50 per annum for the
neglect of a public duty.
AS to White Supremacy.
IF the preservation of white supremacy
in single county in this state was even
remotely involved in the question, l should
favor standing as we are. But Mssis-
Slppl mas proved 100 well tnat the matter
can be handled in a different way for
us to shut our eyes to conditions which.
to say the least of 1t, are becoming more
and more serious every day.
The trouble with the entire provision
on the subject of the poll tax is that
the trainers of the constitution endeavor-
ed to make a plan for the entire state,
which under any circumstances was only
needed in a portion of the state. With
greater wisdom, the Mississippi plan
adopts the principle of local self-govern-
county in the state. whereby conditions
peculiar to any particular county can be
met without resorting to a method I'M
necessary and harmful in other coun-
ties. Uniformity is a good thing, where
conditions are uniform, but there is no
use in trying to maintain plan which
reduces the white vote nearly one-half
in the white counties of the state, for
the sole purpose of protecting a half
dozen or a dozen counties in the black
belt when ample protection can be af-
forded to those counties by other and
saner methods.
A constitutional amendment giving the
county commissioners in a particular
county the right to increase the amount
of the poll tax, or the age limit or such
other methods may be necessary could
do no harm and would be in accordance
with the plan worked out in other states.
and with the doctrine and theory of home
rule and local self-government. and would
be an ample remedy against the possihiI-