The Injustice of Poll Taxes Broadside

This broadside, The Injustice of Poll Taxes Broadside, authored by Henry P. Farrow, is a passionate plea against the implementation of the poll tax in Georgia during the Reconstruction era. Written at a pivotal moment while the Georgia Reconstruction Constitutional Convention was in session, Farrow’s argument articulates the economic and moral injustices of such a tax, which disproportionately affected the poor of all races and ultimately served as a mechanism of voter suppression, particularly targeting newly enfranchised Black citizens.

As Georgia led the South in institutionalizing the poll tax as a means to resist fundamental changes in race relations, Farrow—then the state’s Attorney General and later a federal District Attorney—sought to ensure the state’s adherence to Reconstruction mandates. In this broadside, he presents a compelling case, criticizing the tax as antithetical to the principles of democracy and economic fairness, stating that a poll tax effectively levies a charge on a citizen’s fundamental rights of life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.

Despite Farrow’s eloquent objections, the poll tax was ultimately incorporated in Georgia’s 1868 Reconstruction constitution and later reaffirmed in the 1877 revision, solidifying its role in disenfranchisement for decades to come. This document stands as an early yet ultimately unsuccessful effort to resist the establishment of economic barriers to voting in the post-Civil War South.

This broadside is a rare historical artifact. It offers invaluable insight into the political struggles over voting rights during Reconstruction and serves as a testament to the enduring fight against voter suppression in American history.