Delaware tribune. [volume] (Wilmington, Del.) 1867-1877, 1870-10-13
The Ruin of Delaware
THE TESTIMONY OF DEMOCRATS.
"ThIngs go on from Bad to Worse"
The People are Sold"
The State Tax Law More Obnoxious than any
U. s. Tax.
Ciiizens of Delaware, Read tho Evidence
John A. Nicholson, Etttoard Ride.
ley, and Beniah IVatsOn.
.l. on the Stand.

|
The following arc careful reports Of til,
speeches made at the meeting of the Indepen
dent Democrats of Kent County at Dover, on DC
tober 9Th: -
SPEECH OF EDWARD RIDGLEy, ESQ.,
Mr.. Rdgley was then introduced, and spok,
as follows - -31"4
regret that the duties imposed upon me as
member OF the committee on nominations hai
prevented me from hearing the speakers wht
have preceded me. intend in my remarks t.
be brief and to speak calmly and reasonably. II
doing so l shall denounce no man who may op
pose me. My personal relations with the lead
ers of those with whom we have raised this issus
are most pleasant. l have no enemies. / ap
pear before you to-day in the simple discharge
Of conscientious duty. As democrats we meet
and fundamental principles of this great politica
organization as we have ever been. The same
love for it imbues our hearts to-day as in the
past.
We arc charged with selling out to the Repub-
can party. Such charges we may expect to
meet II we are conscientious in our work. Con
tumely and abuse will be heaped upon uH, but
we care not FOR them. Our only object and pur.
pose is to reform. abuses which have crept into
our party in its management Of our State Gov.
ernment. We have had control of the State
since 1856. We have become strong and errors
have occurred in our management of affairs.
We have done some things which are wrong, and
| these things we are now called upon AZ Demo.
Gratis to reform. As medicines are sometimes
administered to purge the physical body, 80 now
we find it necessary to administer the same tc
the body polite. Gentlemen may ask us, why
not effect these needed reforms within the pale
of the party and scope Of it's regular ticket 2
We reply, that it cannot be done. We bave tried
it many times and failed. Things go on from
bad to worse. Our State debt increases, the OK.
penses of the State government grow larger with
each session Of the legislature, and there is nc
other redress for our grievance than in oui
present action.
The speaker then proceeded to givcthe follow.
ing statistics, to show the necessity for change
in the State Administration -
The stationery and printing bill for the Legis
lative session Of 1861 was about sll5O. This
was for long session of the Legislature. In
1868, another long session, when prices were al
their height, the Stationary alone was 91.60,
including that used by the Military Committee,
\ The whole amount for Stationery and printing
was over 1880 In 1869 the printing blu dtont
amounted to over $4,000, exclusive of the House
Journal which was 81 800, making $4,000 fol
both Added to this was the Stationery Bill
-2l0306. Thus the total expenses of the session
for 1869, for Printing and Stationery, were ovei
ssi03, making difference between the cost foi
that year and for 1868 of over $4,000. And the
Clerk of the House had told him (nIr. I,idgley)
that at the close of the session there was not
even sheet of paper left for him to prepare his
index ON.
In years gone by the ordinary expenses Of the
Legislature of Delaware were only from $4,000 tc
100000. While at the last session the total ex-
pense was over S3O, ,000
1 need not ask you who is responsible for this
terrible extravaganza 1t is anti-Democratic
and should be changed. 1t is to purify the party
and correct these abuses, that We have assembled
this Convention and formed new ticket.
Democratic orators are bitter in their denunci
atoms of the wasteful expenditur9of the monies
of the National Treasury. agree with them
but | sec also that we need great reform in the
same direction at home here in our State |,
il morelmportant to MS here in Delaware, thai
our State debt should be reduced.
In 1868 the Legislature passed bill taxing
railroads. steamboats,, and other public convey.
ances, carrying travellers through our State
From 1864 to 1868 the Philadelphia, Wilmington
Il Baltimore railroad paid into the State treas
ury, on account Of the same, $1,000 per month
or 900 per year. Our State debt amounts
to little less than 81 1OO,00O, the interest upon
which is 56G0O0. The receipts from the one
company referred to alone amounted to ovei
!1G,0OO more than the interest on our debt The
money accruing from this tax upon travel, ac
cordng to the law was to be applied solely tc
the payment of the State debt Yet who of yor
ever heard of one cent Of this yearly surplus o.
$4,000 being used for that purpose? The deb
has not been reduced one cent. 1 do not say
that the State Treasurer is accountable for this
but do know that this money has been WASTED
by men in Office and power,
Otnef oIateb nave palu OH tllelr war ueDt
Ours has not. 1t is time the honest voters oil
Delaware should look into these things. Out
side of Wilmington we are not a manufacturing
State, so the burden of our debt must fal
heavily upon the agricultural community.
The last session of the Legislature passed
another tax bill, which is one Of the most oh
jectionabe statutes ever enacted by any legisla
tive body. We have been accustomed, in oul
political meetings, to declaim against the odous
Federal tax laws, but here on oui own statute
1 bnnlq baya Ohpnyioua
1t makes men swear to their income four timel
a year. 1t wastes a large proportion of tht
revenue it is designed to collect, in printing
blank forms and in the employment of collectors
| A blacksmith whose tax may amount to five ol
ten cents quarter must go through this form
of filling up blanks and swearing to the same
every three months. The expensiveness of th
clumsy machinery is only one OF its many bat
features. 1t prizes into our private business ant
invades our personal rights say we must wip,
from our statute books this obnoxious law
As it was originally drafted it was even worse
for it then gave to the assessor the privilege i
he did not believe the oath of any party II
break open his safe and examine his books Il
verify or disprove the same. BY the exertion
of some of us this clause was stricken out.
We intend to effect theneeded reforms througl
and by the Democratic party The ticket nomi
mated by the recent Convention of your party i
not such one as should receive our support, il
| times like these. But our differences are only
family quarrel. We will come together agail
all right
For the Justice and right of this movement
a you need only note the names appended to thi
: call. Look upon the venerable and honorable
| gentleman (Chairman-I am not old. Laughter.
r who presides over your deliberations to-day
They are. sufficient to disprovo any allegation
made against ollr movement.
We have spoken of the abuses in our part
only that the people might see them and &C
intelligently in this contest. The Dela,oded
says the State finances are ut very low ebb.
Stnt. Do
!, law permits us to run in debt when the Legisla
i. ture is not i'll session, what will be the condtio
of affairs when that expensive body conyenes
d The men we have placed upon our ticket ar
i the Democratic party. AS Democrats we hay
i naugurated this movement here to-day. A
Democrats we expect to vote for Mr.. Ponder an
Mr.. Bggs-while We vote for the county tckt
we have nominated here to-day. Work. well
work faithfully and on the eighth day of ne,
d November we will elect men who will correct til
abuses which have crept into the Democrat
party in it's management Of our State Cover
!, ment. .rY
~ SPEECH OF BENIAlI WATSON. .-
d The Chairman introducing Mr.. Watson, said |
It was the son of distinguished merchant of Mi
7, 7, ford, who was also candidate upon the tick
st of the other wing of the party.
3 Mr.. Watson said We have assembled here t,
g day for the purpose of making out pure Den
O. ocratic ticket that shall represent the true il
10 terest of the county and State. We have con
g, here to-day, free and independent to shake o
,f the oppression and degradation which hay
s, weighed down the Democratic party for 10 mar
a. years. The ticket which will soon be presents
So to you, will boar the names of men who VI
~ represent the interests of this county, and wi
NJ are not pledged to the support of clique. CT
Or Committee on nominations having made the
I'd report, the speaker proceeded) We intend
NJ clear away the rubbish and plant new trees whit
ld shall bring forth fruit hundred or even hu
I'd dred and fifty fold better. BY means of ,
ve effective police force scattered over the Stat
III our opponents have used every endeavor to ket
is men from coming here lest they might hear Il
tn truth. Very many are with us in heart, but tn
of are afraid of the party lash-fearful that tn
OH will become marked men.
of We intend to deal pleasantly with our oppo
N, ents il we can, but il we must we will fight b
he terly to the end. If necessary, it shall be
lg- the knife, and knife to the hilt. come in
Ter this movement through high, patriotic motive
on The speaker compared the leaders of this moy