Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1962-03-29
Poll Tax Debated

A recent letter on the
values and virtues Of the Vir-
ginia poll tax personifies the
paltry tax as both a charac-
ter-building device and a test
of intelligence and good judg-
ment at less than half
a cent a day. The tax mech
aniSm, once admittedly a
hate-motivated thing, is now
held responsible for noble
goals and Virginia's good gov
eminent.
Our jails are full Of fellows
with intelligence, foresight
and expert Judgment. They
would gladly pay a poll tax
to get their man elected.
Further, If the tax were a
purposeful exercise of good
citizenship, why not make
every sidewalk a one cent toll
road for pedestrians-a daily
training ground for obliga-
ton and character?
But why is it that in the
land of the poll tax and the
Golden Rule the public
schools can cease to func-
ton? What has happened
to the exemplary poll tax
character which denies
Northern Virginia its fair
rights Of proportional rep
resentation?
Is the Virginia blue law a
sample of poll tax intelli-
gence? It is puzzling to find
that a hat imprinted with
apple valley advertising may
be sold on Sunday but, sans
plug, the sale is scientifically
taboo.
Was it a poll tax paying
Judgment that declared for
massive resistance and Judged
the law Of the land illegal?
Were the poll tax paying vot-
ers deceived and egged with
what was known to be fu-
Utility? Are legalized slot ma
chimes to be additional evil
dence of Virginia's move
toward citizen character
building?
Milton A. MandeI
At the time Of the adon-
ton of our Federal Constitu-
ton, not a State in the
Union had universal man
mood suffrage. Woman suf-
rage was. of course, far in
the future. In order to vote
every State required either
That a man own taxable
property, pay a poll tax or
render some service to the
State in lieu of payment of
money. Our forefathers did
not believe that a man should
have the precious right of
franchise merely because he
had lived in a community for
a certain time. They felt that
he should also contribute
something to the support or
defense of the community.
1 have lived in Virginia al
most 10 years. Throughout
that time I have seen
Negroes vote without him
ORANGE or question. I have
also known people who did
not vote because they had not
paid their poll taxes. Most
of them could easily have
paid such taxes. Some were
not interested in elections.
Some preferred to spend their
money for other things, rang
ing from booze to television
sets and motor cars, far more
costly than they needed.
They have had their choice.
Why interfere with it? If
they prefer these other
things, it is probably fortu-
nate for the community that
they do not vote.
Citizenship is not a one
way street. 1t imposes obliga-
lions as well as it confers
rights and privileges. Per-
sons not willing to contribute
a dollar or two a year toward
the support of the State
which grants them the right
to vote are not fit to have
CnaC right.
Frank B. BristOw.
y 4
Although the poll tax is
sue will be banded back and
forward by proponents and
opponents it is doubted that
the words of the instigator of
the poll tax in Virginia will
be made public. I therefore
quote from the Law Review
the following colloquy be-
tween Senator Carter Glass
and a Mr.. Pedigo in the Vir-
GINA Constitutional Conven-
ton in 1902:
"On purpose of inserting
poll tax into the Virginia
Constitution:
Mr.. GlaSS-'Mr. President,
in the midst of differing
contentious and suggested
perplexities, there stands