Tazewell Republican. [volume] (Tazewell, Va.) 1892-1919, 1908-04-30
REMEMBER TINE POLL TAX.

Inc occasion Is opportune to remind
as to the poll tax.
III order that its payment may qualify
the voter for suffrage in the fall cleo
ton, the obligation must be met by the
End day of May.
Just a few words upon the subject.
In the first place the tax represents
debt owed by the citizen to the State,
regardless of its function as a suffrage
prerequisite. 1t is now due and paw
able. 1t can be collected by law-pro-
vlded process just as are other taxes.
Vote or no vote, therefore, it ought to
be paid.
But aside from this phase of the
question, the right to exercise funda-
mental attribute of free citizenship ia
dependent upon the payment of the poll
tax within specified time. He who
cares not to observe this limitation. an
parently cares not to be ranked as
Voter-cares not that he should become
neghble factor in determining the
sort OF government policies and the
character of officers under whose in
nuence the affairs of the country are to
be directed. 1t is not unduly harsh. we
THINK, to say that where such a stains
Is deliberately assumed, an example is
afforded which bodies ill for good gov
eminent.
But The News has at other times
moralized sufficiently upon this subject.
Suffice 1t to say now that the next Pres
idential election promises to be one of
more than ordinary Importance, and
that 1t behooves the registered voter to
see that he is entitled to have a voice in
the contest.
Pay your poll tax.
Pay it now.-Lyhchburg News.
Yes, Remember the Poll Taxi
The people who have been outraged by
the iniquity will not be likely to forget
1t or its authors. The owner of the
Lynchburg News was one of the men
VINO helped to make the poll tax qualifi
cation for voting for the purpose of cur
failing the electorate, and especially to
destroy the suffrage of Republicans.
and make them ''neglible factors in
determining the sort of government
policies and the character of officers
under whose influence the affairs of the
country are directed"
The News begins to realize what a
deadly foe this poll tax is to the ordi-
nary-voter. 1t is killing Democratic as
well as Republican votes. Hence the
frantic appeals that the News and all
the Democratic newspapers are repeat
eddy making to Democrats to pay their
poll tax IN time to save their suffrage
rights. We remember that the News
not a great while ago declared that
when a man lost his vote by failure to
pay his poll taxes that he also lost his
citizenship. Can any law be righteous
that works such wrongs as these?
The News now admits that 1.-THE tax
represents a debt owed by the citizen
TO the State. " 1t is not only debt
but self-executing one after it be-
comes due. Why then make it a heavier
burden by making it prequisite to the
exercise of right which is the most
sacred and useful that belongs to free
American citizens? If we remember
correctly, the Lynchburg News was one
OF those who recently expressed an
eager desire for the Court of Appeals
to so interpret the law as to make citi-
zens pay their poll taxes in physical per-
son. Such an Interpretation of the
Constitutional provision would not only
make additionally harsh the require
ment but would Do violence to the well
established laws of agency and rights
OF property, as we'll as all modern bust
ness customs.
Why permit man to pay an ordinary
debt by an agent, or by the use of
money, draft, check or money order
sent through the mails and not allow
him to pay an extraordinary, self-exe-
cutting debt held by the State, in the
same way?
We suppose the originators Of the
poll tax qualification for voting intend |
ed to make the consideration in their
one-sided contract pound of flesh, and
the Shylocks are demanding that it be
paid.