Smyrna times., 1878-05-15
The Delaware Plan,
HOW THE BTACK VOTE Is SUPPRESSED IN THE
BLUE HEN STATE

1t Is evident that in true statesmansb;,
some OF the Southern States are decidedIp
ia ADVANCE OF their Northern sisters. that
80 80 Dy craftsmanship is meant keepino
the elective franchise in the hondS df q
&c" "s possible, and these chiefly of your
own party. The State of DeIaware = =
shlnlng example. When the negroes ,yera
eh1ranchlsed by constitutional amendnoent
the statesmen of Delaware set TO worIr ~
9eVlSe plan by which they could keen
uo"h the negro vote without violating the
cohs tltutlon, and their efforts were rn.
"'tueu with great success. law wos
Passeo regulating the qualification of voters
oy assessment and payment of taxes. In
oruer 10 vote at State or county election
cltlzen must have paid a tax within two
years, which tax must have been assessed
aC least SIX months before. For instonoo
no no person can vote at the election novt
november unless he had been assessed
oslore May 3. Assessors are Indifferent
ABOUT putting the names of colored mon
On the lists at all, and their names not
el"s on the lists, they are unable to paw n
tax or 10 vote. Moreover, the colored
population constitute the laborinc oIoeo
anu al are continually shifting about, making
1t difficult to make the requisite asseeen1onte
but to increase the difficulty the law re'
qulres that the official lists of the assessors |
n must be completed and filed by the frst |
tuesday OF February, or nine months heforo |
the election. After that date no additions
can De made to the lists, except that for n
IeW uays while the court is in session
cl'lzens who personally go before it, at the
county town, and are duly vouched for bv
the sworn affidavits of freeholder. NAV
nave Their names put on. This law annlies
10 those who own no real estate. and oro
assessable only for capitation tax. But as
though this were not enough. the matbod
OF payment OF tax adds to the difficulties
IN the way OF the poor voter. The colIec.
'of Is required to give notice, when he re.
ceNeS MS duplicate of the list, when and
Whefe he Will receive the tax, and again in
January OF each year he gives a second
houce and this being done, he is required
" put uo"h as dellnquents or "errors" all
VINO 40 not come forward and pay, the as
'uLl lpIioh Delng that there are no such per
sons, or that they are dead or removed
The collector having given his notice has :
nothing more to do; and on the first Tnos- !
day in March the court acts upon the 70.
turns and those who have not paid arc 7
lfopped from the lists and cannot be mt Il
On again Tor two years. The law was pas.
seq at the session of 1871, and was aimed
at the colored voters, OF
it hurts them most since they are /
nearly all-tax payers, and with few excep. "
ions, poor men. If they have missed 6
'aylng their taxes of 1877 by the first of
March, 1878, they will not be on the as. :
esSment list for 1878, nor can thev he a
estored in 1879 (unless, by the progress Of "a
BUSINESS in the levy court, there should n n
aPPen to be an opportunity for few days =,
etore it adjourns in March, 1879 for the az q,
mltted person to 60 before it), and, there. N \,
ore they cannot be again qualified to vote in
efore the year $780, =, -,
1t is only necessary to add that all the or
ourts, all the recording officers, and all the
ollectors and three.fourths of the asses.
'rs' are Democrats to show the beauty of A,
ne system, by which the mass of the
of State are legally disfranchised.
nd what storm Of Indignation would be n"
used II the Republican Legislature of lo'
onnecticut should enact,a similar law tn
"tcGgo Eoening Journal. sig