The Semi-weekly leader., 1921-11-23
"BE YE THEREFORE READY
ALSO"


litical history of Mississippi. Next
year is the time that the people E.
lect one United States Senator, one
Congressman from each Congression-
al District, a Circuit Judge from each
Circuit Court District and a Chan
cellor from each Chancery Court
District. These elections mean so
much to the people. 1t is absolutely
essential that every white man and
white woman be prepared to take a
part in selecting the officers who are
10 represent them, and in order to
do this you must pay all of your tax
es, including your poll tax, on or be-
fore the 1rst day of next February.
In 1928, the people will be called
upon to elect their State, County and
District officers, which means from
the constable to the Governor, and
unless each white man and woman
pays his or her taxes, including poll
tax, on or before the first day of
February (1922) they will not be
able to take any part in the election
of 1928 for the reason that the law
provides that in order for you to be
qualified to vote each man and wo-
man must have paid their taxes le-
gally assessed against them for two
years preceding the election and
that he or she has paid same on or
before the first day of February of
the year in which they offer to vote.
The first legal poll tax assessed a.
gainst women was this year (192D.
If you fail to pay all of your taxes,
including your poll tax, on or before
the first day of February, you will be
delinquent and you cannot take any
part in the election next year of
United States senator, congressman,
Circuit Judges and Chancellors. Nei-
ther can you take any part in the
election of 1928 for the election of
State, District and County officers.
The poll tax for women is two dol
lars just as the men pay and this poll
tax is assessed against them and they
are required to pay it regardless of
not, and every person, man or wo-
man, over the age of tNenty-one
years, who does not pay ali of the
taxes legally assessed against them
on or before the first day of next
February, will be delinquent and
will be advertised in the newspapers
as a delinquent. l do not believe that
any white man who is able to work
is going to permit his wife to be ad-
vertised as delinquent. Neither will
he let himself be advertised as a
delinquent, and especially is this
true as to poll tax, both for the men
and for the women, goes for the
support of the public schools and the
education of their own children. Ev-
cry dollar of the poll tax that is paid
goes to the support of the public
schools of the county and l feel quite
certain that our people, both men
and women, are vitally interested in
the support of the public schools and
the education of their children. Then
you will pay your poll tax and all
other taxes assessed against you.
The two great contending forces
in State and National affairs are
Right and Wrong. l believe that the
great majority of the men and wo-
men desire that Right prevail in
both State and National affairs. No
person should be elected to office
who does not possess the following
qualifications Honesty, Ability, En-
ergy and Courage, and in addition to
this, his heart must be in sympathy
with the great principle of Democra-
cy, Equal rights to all and special
privileges to none" urge every
white man and woman who believes
in this principle of government to
be prepared to meet the issue by
being registered and having paid all
of his taxes, including his poll tax
After you are so prepared, then if
you want this government to stay in
the hands of the people and if you
in truth and in fact want this gov
ernment to remain a government of
the people and for the people, then
you must vOtei
There are only two ways to settle
great political questions One is by
the ballot and the other, by force,
and l believe that l express the SEN
timent of a great majority of the
people when l say that the great
problems of State that are now con-
fronting us must be settled at the
polls by clean, honest and fntelli-
gent ballot. It is the consensus of
opinion of the greatest minds of the
present age that if our Republican
form of Government is to last, and
Lut forth our best efforts in electing
persons to office who are honest
clean, energetic, able, courageous
unpurchasable and faithful to the
trust committed to them. We should
elect persons to office who will give
more study to the great problems
that are confronting us and lass
thought to how they are to succeed
themselves in office. We need
Statesmen at Washington more than
we need Politicians. Next year you
will be called upon to select, by your
ballot, officers to represent you in
National and International affairs
Do not be misled but do your own
thinking. Study those who Offer
themselves for office. Test them by
their honor, their integrity, their a.
bility, their character, their energy
their courage, their sympathies and
their records and demand of them
that they measure up to your ideas
Of a statesman. If every man and
woman will do this, we will make
this government safe for the best in.
terests Of all the people.
HUGH V. WALL.
To prevent cold take 666.
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