The star-progress. (Opelousas, La.) 1917-1921, 1920-12-01
OF POLL
TAX NOW DUE AND
OFFICE COLLECTING
Voters Will Be Disfranchis-
ed if Fail to Pay
On Time
DECEMBER 81 LAST
DAY TO MAKE GOOD
Unless Settled Promptly I'm
fortunates Can Not
Vote in 1921

This is the season of the year when
the annual cry, PAY your poll taxi"
goes forth to the lingering, forgetful
voters. The cry is in season, and un-
less it echoes from end to end of the
state numerous citizens will forget it
and by so forgetting join the silent
host that remains in the background
election day and can not VOTE
Collecting Poll Tax Now
The collection of property taxes has
not started and will not start until the
assessment rolls are completed and
handed to the sheriff. But the pay
ment of poll taxes is in order and the
sherifFs office is prepared with an
abundant supply of blank receipts and
the obliging deputies in the collectors
office are ready to issue poll tax re-
ceipts to all voters on the payment of
the one dollar Just a month remains
in which to pay the tax if one wishes
to remain a qualified voter and parti-
cipate in elections held during 1921
and 1922 True there won't be many
elections held in 1921 but there will
be serveral important ones in 1922 and
unless poll tax is paid for 1920 and
1921 previous to December 81 of each
OF those years the voter will be dis
franchised.
Maybe Vote on Constitution
The constitutional convention, which
assemblies in March to frame and
adopt a new organic law, may vote
to refer their work to the voters for
approval or rejection, and any voter
who has not paid his poll tax for 1919
and 1920 wilT not be able to partici-
pate in that important referendum
election. and if the constitution does
not please his views on the subject he
will simply have not the right to ex-
press such disapproval at the polls,
Just because through carelessness he
forgot to pay his 1920 poll tax on
time.
Women on Equal Footing
Then, too, the enfrachisement of
the women places them on an equal
footing with the men in respect to
poll tax payment. Thousands have al
ready registered and other thousands
have not yet done so. On January
the present registration books go out
of use and an entirely new registra-
ton will so into effect 1t will be nee
-essary fer all men and women who de-
sire to hold voting privileges to regis
ter again, and that registration will
avail them nothing unless they pay
the 1920 poll tax. OF course the wo-
men voters were only enfranchised in
1920 and will only have to possess a
poll tax receipt for 1920 and not for
1919.
Now Is Accepted Time
There never was a better time to
pay the poll tax than right now. Those
who put off the matter for later
day may find the office crowded when
they do appear and run the risk of los
ing out by so doing. for December 81,
at midnight, is the last minute set by
law in which voter can keep him
self or herself qualified for voting by
paying the tax. The sheriff and the
force of deputies in the collecting de-
partment Of the office will do every
thing in their power to push the work
through on time, but will be power
less if the voters do not come in and
pay up promptly in order to keep the
office running smoothly and the issu-
ing of receipts kept going all the time.
Now is the time, SO get busy!