Jackson advocate. [volume] (Jackson, Miss.) 1939-current, 1947-02-08
Largest Number Of Negro Citizens In
States History Pay Poll Tax
Efforts TO Hold Down Number
Met With New And Varying Tactics

Jackson, Miss. - (DSN) - A
statewide survey, and reports
from all sections of the state fol
lowing the close Of the legal per-
iod for the payment of poll tax
in Mississippi which is ION or
before February First" of each
year, showed that the largest
number of Negro Citizens in the
entire history of the state had
paid their poll tax and registered
during the period which ended
last Saturday. Unlike a number
of other states the poll tax in
Mississippi is not cumulative and
prospective coters starting out to
pay their poll-ttax have only to
pay the sum of $500. The state
elestion laws however require that
poll taxes must have been paid
each year for two years in sue
cession before becoming qualified
to vote. AS a result of this provi-
sion only few of those who paid
their poll-taX will be eligible to
vote in any elections this year as
the great majority of them were
paying their poll-tax for the first
time.
Reports from all sections of the
state also revealed that some new
as well as the old and traditional
tactics were used in order to hold
down the number of poll tax pay
ments as well as the number of
registrations.
For the first time in the history
of the state there were reports of
out-and-out refusal to accept pay
ment of poll tax from Negro
Citizens.
Following the traditional pat
tern Negro citizens in many cases
in all sections of the state were
subject to a wide variety of ques-
tions in order to prove their abil-
ity to "read the state constitu-
ton" or understand it when read
to them, the basis upon which
a large number were denied the
right to register, the ability to
read the state constitution or
understand it when read to you,
being the substance Of the edu-
cational qualification which all
electors are supposed to be re-
quired to meet as contained in the
Reconstruction Constitution adopt
ed by the state in the year 1890.
Under the State Constitution
and State Primary Laws there
is no provision requiring the pay
ment of poll tax for any period
before registration What is re-
garded among the new tactics
during the period was the wide
spread reports of the refusal to
permit registration on the grounds
that only one payment of poll
tax had been made. The basis
of this action is said to have been
the results of articles published
in h dolly press to the affect
that persons who had only one
POI .~ceipt need not register
because he would not be allowed
to vote this year. Observers here
sowever said this article was
published for the purpose to re-
lieve the registering officials in
order that they could serve those
who would be eligible to vote inn
mediately and not for the pur
pose of stopping Negro qualifca-
tons.
The number of Negroes paying
poll tax and registering OF at
tempting to register was ever
where regarded as phenomenal
and as observers sought to fix
direct Responsibility the Jackson
Daily News in its usual tone re-
garding such matters, in a front
page editorial, warned of a threat
to White Supremacy in the state
asserting later that the number
of Negroes paying their poll tax
was out numbering the white peo-
pie.
In Kinds county where by far
the largest number of Negro cit
liens paid their poll tax and reg
istered, even though a large num-
Der were not permitted to regis
ter for carrying reasons the Jack