Year: 1875

OGA1NQUENI 1AAGo.


Last fall the WORLD showed that large
proportion of the poll taxes of Boise county
were hopelessly delinquent, and suggested as a
remedy that there be law passed requiring
the voters Of the Territory to come to the polls
provided with poll tax receipt as requisite
to voting, The proposition. as a matter Of
course, met with the opposition Of every blat-
ant demagogue in the Territory whose hopes
of preferment depend upon his success in pan
dering to the popular depravity. and the conse-
quence was the adjournment of the late session
of our legislature without even an attempt to
remedy defect in our revenue laws by which,
as We have already shown. the Territory is an
nually defrauded out of no less than S25, 900.
The remedy suggested by us is neither novel
nor new. but has been applied, as we then sta
ted, in several of the States OF the Union, and
with satisfactory results. 1t is now demanded
by the Montanian and the Bozeman Times, two
papers conducted with as much candor and
ability as are generally to be met with in a
newspaper Office; and it is the only rational
remedy for the delinquent tax evil, and inside
of ten years will be universally adopted. There
is neither justice nor good sense in man being
allowed the full enjoyment of all the benefits
and blessings of citizenship without doing his
part toward defraying the expenses OF govern
ment, and Mr.. w. NJ. Cory. one of the best
political writers in America. maintains that no
good citizen riU do it.


The Montanian says. in advocacy Of such
law there:


An examination Of the books Of the treasu-
rers of the Territory establishes the fact that
niue.tenths OF the delinquents possess no prop
crty. and owe the poor and road tax amounting
to s.. The experience of the past will proba-
bl, be repeated and a large majority of these
persons will not pay what is assessed against
them. While this sum per capita is small, 1t
constitutes in the aggregate large amount.
There are no legal means of securing this IN
debtedness, and those who have real and per-
sonal praperty must bear additional burdens in
consequence of the failure OF others to perform
their duty to the public.


II there is nothing that it is assessabe it is
n safe presumption that there is nothing at
tachabe. In what manner can the rights OF
the people be protected and these delinquent
taxes be placed in the treasury? The remedy
can be- found upon the statute books OF many OF
the States. and ia applicable to Montana The
could vote unless he had paid these taxes. The
receipt of the treasurer should be the naturali
cation paper of every citizen of the Territory.
In other articles of the MoNTANIAN the reader
has Observed that there are one thousand votes
po-d in some counties by men that do not
contribute one cent to carry on the local gov.
ernment The enforcement of the law which
has been suggested would increase the reven-
ues Of those districts $1,000. The privilege OF
voting is valued highly by these citizens, and
most of them would cheerfully give up the ~"
if necessary. These are the advantages Of the
proposed change. What are the objectionsl
We are unable to state them.


This is indorsed by the Times as follows:


Nor are we. and the subject of some change
in the premises has been canvassed more than
once in Bozeman. The fact is, however much
we may valUe the franchise, not only for our.
selves but for others that it is farce unless its
exercise be conditional upon intelligence and
compliance with law. The voting privilege is
too easily gained; IL Is regarded as rlght-lt
should be more fully privilege, and the more
rigidly it is guarded (of course without inva.
sion of moral rights the purer will be its excr.
else. If the franchise bore with it more of
moral and less of legal right, it might become
less thing of sale ard prejudice, and the more
the aspiration of the poor and the ignorant
man.


We indorse all the Monfanian says upon the
subject, and commend it to the consideration
OF the people of Gallatin. 1t is one Of the many
matters Of public import that should be enga.
ging our attention, that our legislators may be
instructed in the wishes of their constituents