The Lafayette advertiser. [volume] (Vermilionville [i.e. Lafayette], La.) 1865-19??, 1907-10-11
An Important Issue.

Lie I1OlIcI Jul Hol
sounds a note of warning relative
to the possible repeal or moditi-
cation of the provision of the
Constitution requiring prepay
ment of poll taxes for two years
next preceding an election as one
of the qualifications for the bal
lot. The Guardian Journal says:
Under Article 1913 of the Con
stitution of 1898, the Legislature
| elected in 1908 will have the III
thOrity to repeal or modify the
provisions of the Constitution
making the prepayment OF the
poll tax for two years previous
to an election an indispensable
prerequisite to the exercise of
the suffrage franchise. In other
words the legislature to be chos-
en- next year will have the power
to wipe out the prepayment OF
the poll tax as a suffrage %reStric-
ton. or to provide that its pre-
payment tor one year shall be
sufficient.
AS we see it., the Constitution
of 1898 makes the prepayment of
the poll tax as a suffrage restric-
ton an issue in the election of
the next Legislature.
But it seems that the issue has
been overlooked by the candi-
dates for legislative honOrS. So
far AS we have observed, not a
single candidate for either branch
of the Legislature has alluded to
this matter in his platform. 1t
is true that there is no demand,
so far as we know. for the next
Legislature to exercise its au-
thority in this respect, but the
subject is "A very important one
and it will be well enough to have
tho members of the next Legisla-
ture committed upon it. Some
times issues spring up and be-
come important after a Legislative
body has assemble that were
overlooked or ignored in the pre-
ceding campaign. Possibly this
might be the case in regard to the
poll tax provisions of u State
Constitution. At any rate, there
can be nothing lost by having the
members of the next Legislature
committed on the subject. We
satisfied that there is a class
of politicians in the State that
would be glad to wipe out the
prepayment of the poll tax as a
suffrage restriction, Their only
chance of success lies in a policy
of silence and concealment dur
ing the campaign. The people
ought to see to it that this chance,
slight at is may be, is destroyed
by insisting upon the candidates
for both branches of the Legisla-
ture speaking out in unmistak-
able terms in regard to this is
sue.
There is no more important
question in our State than that
of suffrage. All of the reforms
that we have secured, the reha.
Utilization of Democracy in the
State, are grounded on the suf-
frage restrictions established by
the Constitution of 1893. With
out these there would have been
no direct primaries and no ex-
tension of the principle of popu-
lar rule. Destroy the foundation
and the superstructure will
crumble into ruin. The prepay
ment of the poll tax for two years
previous to an election before a
fixed date, is in our opinion, an
important element in our system
of suffrage regulation. 1t has
justified it's right to be and
should by no means be disturbed
by the next Legislature. Let
the people make sure that this is
not done by demanding an ex-
preston from the candidates for
the Legislature or the subject.
C-L.~-Lo fo- <ho Tr-{cn.o Woo1y