The Birmingham age-herald., 1916-01-31
Have You Paid Your Poll Tax and Thus Become a
 Voter in Alabama?
LESS THAN 5000 IN
 JEFFERSON COUNTY
Out of Nearly 25O,000 Population the Heaviest Vote Ever Cast Was 16,000, in the Underwood
 HObson Campaign
By ALLAN J. KREBs, JR.

nave you paid your poll tax?
 Are you going to demand your con- stitutional rights as citizen of the Uni ted States to have a choice in all matters pertaining to the government of the great est country on the globe?
 IT you are not going to pay your poll tax and thereby vindicate the acts of our forefathers who fought, bIed and died for that grandest of all heritages. you will probably join the gang of street gos- slpers who do nothing but berate the actions of every public official in the county, state or United States. The man who does not possess the pride. courage and independence of an Ameri- can citizen to go to the polls and cast his ballot according to the dictates of his conscience and judgment is not, cannot, be good citizen.
 Thousands of people howl incessantly about the whole political fabric of the onlted States government being "all wrong. Just as many complain that the rights of the many belong to the few on account of the special privileges grant, ed to certain cliques, clans and classes by interruptions politicians Have you a right to say one word about this con- dition of affairs?
 You have if you are a bone fide voter and cast your ballot in every election of moment
 ARE YOU A "SLACKER?"
 You have not if you belong to the class Of "slackers' who stand on the street corners and waste your time talking and forget. law tn oyo tn bo house and pay the s1.50 and go out with the satisfaction that you will have hand in these vitally important mat ters of the state in the future.
 One hears hundreds of thousands of people say, this government is not run by the people, it is run by the select few" If this is true, and it probably is, who is to blame for this condition of affairs?
 You are to blame, if you are among the class of citizens known as "slackers.' . One often hears of a movement which has bained considerable strength and is picked up by the politicians as pawn to rise to greater power. Oftentimes this movement is not popular with the masses You Will hear the populace shout out, this law is not in accordance with the sentiment of the people, it is an unjust law" Why do these conditions exist? What can be done to prevent the passage of these laws involving the rights of the citizens of this county, state or coun- try? Is there a remedy? There most assuredly is a remedy and it can be found in the casting of the ballot by the peo- pie, not by a few who are careful enough to see that their poll taxes are paid and exercise their right to vote in every elec- ton.
 The people, the masses, are in the majority in every country on earth. If these people would demand their consti- tutional rights and go to the polls and vote in a sensible, sane manner, lots of strife and friction in affairs that involve the livelihood of the many would be elim- mated. Politics would be cleaner and fairer Capitalized interests of any state would not, could not, gobble up the prized interests of any state or community, the people would not allow it and their right to vote and have a say in these matters would make all politicians and seekers of offices listen to the demand of the people and not to the favored few.
 POPULATION OF COUNTY
 In Jefferson county alone, there are about 250,000 people, There are less than 16,000 voters in all. and this number of votes has been cast in but one election, the Underwood-HobSon campaign. The nominal voting strength of Jefferson county is generally approximately 12,000. With an abundance of pressure, big issue, and work night and day, per- haps 16,0OO could be brought out to vote again.
 In Greater Birmingham there are ap- 5000 votes. Up to date less than 9C00 in the whole of Jefferson county have paid their poll tax.
 The tax collectors office will be open all day today and up until the time a voter is present tonight to pay his poll tax. The office will likewise be open tomorrow and tomorrow night You still have time to assert your right to be a reaI citizen