The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1907-08-24

prived of his right to vote in suck
special election. Mr.. Machen's provi.
sion would disfranchise even those whe
OF the Code Coo4) special election
to fill the Office of Governor must bs
held within sixty-five days after the
v ,a. SO 1t Is easy to see that Il
time. no one except old soldiers could
vote, either under the present law or
under Mr.. Machen's amendment no
matter how promptly poll taxes were
paid.
Therefore. IL 1t is desired that tho
personal payment OF the poll tax, ex.
ccpt as to old soldiers, be q pre-
requisite to the right to vote, and that
this tax be paid at such a period as
to practically insure that no candidate,
either In a general election or pri.
mary. shall unduly interest himself in
It's payment, l make the following sug-
gestions:
That all Of the otherwise eligible
electors who pay their poll taxes on or
before the first day OF December-oc
some other certain and fixed day-be
allowed TO vote in all elections, regular
:n and primaries. and none other.
The treasurer of each county and city
should be required to file with ths
clerk of his court. by the first day OF
January succeeding-if December LIST
were fixed as the date OF payment
a list of all persons who have SO paid
their poll taxes, which list should be
Kept open at all times to public in
spection.
would also suggest that for GER
tain period before each election. no
one be allowed 10 make application
TO the Judge to correct the list, Pro.
vision could easily be made for young
voters who came OF age too late to be
assessed with poll tax.
There would be several advantages
In such an arrangement:
FIRST. 1t would be uniform in it's
operation. and easily understood. There
would be no chance for June NUM-
cipal election or special election to
slip up on voter and take him by
surprise.
Second. it would give any voter whose
name might. through inadvcrtcnce, be
left off the list. ample opportunity TO
have the error corrected long before
even primary election in which he
claimed the right to vote. And 1t Will
be recalled that under the present
primary law. only those entitled to vote
in the succeeding general election may
vote in the primary. In the primary
Just held in some OF the counties. some
of the lists We're published too late
to have any errors corrected.
Third, it would give the candidates
in the primaries, as we'll es in the
other elections. full opportunity of
Knowing in advance who had the right
TO vote. and
Fourth. it would deprive the various
treasurers of the immense advantage
tney now haVe-a very dangerous adj
vantage 1t might be IL they happened
to be interested In the election, either
as candidates for reelection, or as can
didates for other offices. or otherwise.
The list of voters would be made up
and open to inspection long before the
primary. But now. IL the primary
comes al an opportune time. treasurer
may keep his list of qualified voters
a secret until the very eve of a pri-
mary. in which he may have the deep
est interest. Knowing who his friends
are. he can himself pay the tax after
the specified time, and include such
names in his published list.
l do not mean to say any treasurer
has ever taken advantage of his posi-,
ton. But one of the very objects or
the law is to remove from every one
tho temptation to juggle with or violate
the statute.
Certainly the present arrangement
does not seem to work very satisfac-
torily, and can and ought to be amend-
ed. I agree with Mr.. Machen that this
Is good time to agitate the matter.
While some plan more feasible than
the one outlined may be suggested.
make these suggestions in the con-
f,dent belief that If adopted. Mr.
Machen will find a definite and uni
form plan more satisfactory than an
arbitrary nine months period.
ROBERT A. HUTCHINSON,
Manassas. Va.