To the Editor of the Crimson:

In your editorial of the 16th against poll taxes it seems to me you have overlooked a very important fact--that democracy is effective only when the electors are educated. The ten million disfranchised citizens in the South you speak of are, I believed you will find, among the most ignorant, uneducated, and illiterate people in the nation. If they were allowed to cast a ballot their vote would represent the persuasion of some Hucy Longish great promiser and petty briber rather than the intelligent choice of a people fit and ready to govern themselves. The way to attack the problem of the Southern poor people is not to repeal the poll tax, but to raise their standard of living and to educate them. This is a slow task, but a far wiser and safer method than giving a vote immediately to ten million people who in their ignorance are more apt to use it to subvert than to uphold constitutional government. Very sincerely yours,   Laurence Davis '42

Pardon us; we though we were living in a democracy. Very sincerity yours--Ed.