The Mena weekly star., 1917-03-29
WOMEN AND THE
 RIGHT TO VOTE
Attorney General Arbuckle Gives Opinion Covering the Assessment and Payment of Poll Tax Under
 the New Law.

State of Arkansas, Ofllce of Attorney
 General, Little Rock, March i7,
 1917.
 Hon. M. E. Dunaway, Prosecuting
 Attorney 9th Judicial District. Little Rock, Arkansas.
 Dear Sir: Your letter of yester- day reading as follows:
 T have been requested by the County Clerk of Pulaski County to advise him as to the right of women to be assessed for the payment of poll taxes since the passage of the Act by the recent Legislature grant ing the right of suffrage in primary elections. It is my idea that the County Clerk should permit them to be assessed on the tax books which are now in the hands of the sheriff of this county.
 This will enable them to assess for the taxes of 1917 and to participate in the succeeding primary elections" {" duly received and contents noted.
 And in reply beg to state that there is no statute in this State espe- cially authorizing the assessors or County Clerks of the State to assess or charge poll tax against women. The Constitution of this State pro- vides that all male persons shall pay poll tax, which would imply that female persons are not to pay this tax, but the Legislature has now placed upon the statute books of this State a statute authorizing women to vote upon presentation of Q poll tax receipt but making no provision for the assessment of this poll tax nor for the collection of the same. It is evident, however, that the Legislature, in passing this sta ute, must have contemplated that women could not vote under this statute unless they did pay poll tax. As the Constitutional provis- ion does not directly prohibit the payment of poll tax by the women of this State, l see no reason why any Assessor or any County Clerk Of the State would be held to vio- late any statute of the State should he, after notifying them that they are not required to make such as- sessment nor to pay a poll tax un- der the law of this State, assess a poll tax against such women SO ad- vised and so desiring to pay such tax. I would say further that it would be my advice to such officials, slIolld they see fit to make such as- sessment. that to prevent any com plication that might arise to have all women assessing in this manner sign written statement that they have been advised as above indicated and that this assessment is made voluntarily after being so advised.
 I have had letter of inquiry from another source and along the same line asking if it is proper to make this assessment at this time, the Woman's Suffrage Bill not carrying the emergency clause and not going into effect for % days. Beg to state in this connection that the Woman's Suffrage Bill net going into effect for 90 days would not affect this as- sessment in any manner whatever as this IS a voluntary a sSessment on the part of the women should it be made, and is not concerned in any way with the Womans Suffrage Bill, nor do the provisions of the Wom- ans Suffrage Bill in any manner af- feet the assessment except in so far as it shows the intention of the Legislature, while it does not make provision for such assessment, that it is intended in the future that women should have poll tax re- ceipts.
 The voluntary payment of the poll tax above referred to would not per- init women to vote at the election to be held for the selection of delegates to the Constitutional Convention in 1917.
 Very truly yours, Signed Jno. D. Arbuckle,
 Attorney General.