The Waxahachie daily light. [volume] (Waxahachie, Tex.) 1894-current, 1908-01-31
ARE SUBJECT TO FINE
POLL TAX DELINQUENTS IN Ell
LIS COUNTY PROSECUTED
UNDER SPECIAL LAW.

During the last twelve months
many persons have been prosecuted
in the county court of Ellis county
for failure to pay their poll tax. All
such prosecutions have been made
under a special law which applies to
Ellis county. Very few counties in
the state have a similar law. County
juGge Spencer says the law is a good
one and should be made applicable
10 every county in the state. In or
der that the readers of this paper
may understand how it is possible
10 prosecute poll tax delinquents,
ser ton ID of the special road laws
for Ellis county is quoted. This sec
ton reeds as follows:
ANY person in Ellis county sub
ject to the payment of poll tax
(whether assessed or not) who shall
fail to pay same on or before the
first day of February thereafter
shall be delinquent poll tax payer,
anu NC ouDJCtJ4 " lOdu uuty LII
a period of three days during the
year, and they shall be summoned by
the road commission. road superin-
tendent, road overseer or any person
appointed by the road commissioner,
superintendent or overseer for that
purpose as in other cases to work
the road, and shall be liable to road
duty in the road district where
they reside, or in any road district
to which they may be assigned by
the commissioners court; and any
such delinquent poll tax payer who
resides in any city or town shall be
assigned to work on some road lead
ing into said city or town. And it is
made the duty of the tax collector,
as soon as practicable after the first
day of February, and before the
first day OF May thereafter, to make
out and give to the commissioners
court a complete list of all delin-
quent poll tax payers for the prev
ious year with their residence as
each of said delinquent poll tax pay
ers shall be subject to road duty to
the road district where he lives, or
to any road district to which he may
be assigned by the commissioners
court. The performance of the road
service provided for in this section
shall not exempt person from any
other road to which he is subject.
And any person when liable to work
purpose under this section which
shall fail to appear and perform the
work required shall be subject to the
i same punishment as in other cases
| of failing to appear or do good work
on the roads, and when convicted
| shall satisfy the fine and costs as in
other misdemeanor convictions; but
, any person who may become liable
| to road duty as a delinquent poll tax
/ pay T, wien SuIlHlOUeu, may SdllS-
| fly said summons and be relieved
| from road duty by paying to the
! road commissioner, superintendent
or road overseer the sum of three
| dollars, to be accounted for as other
road money"
This law has been upheld by the
| higher courts of the state In the
| first two arrests made on complaints
| alleging failure to work the roads
| the defendants fought their cases.
Each was convicted by jury and
| fined in the sum of SO. The cases
were appealed to the court of Grim
! inal appeals, and IN each case the
| verdict of the trial court was af-
| firmed. There has not been a case
! contested since the decision of the
| higher court in the two referred to.
All persons against whom COM
/ plants have been filed have appear
| ed in the county court and entered
pleas of guilty. The majority of COM
plants of this nature have been filed
against negroes. You may escape
| this penalty by paying your poll tax
| before IL o'clock tonight