Daily Republican. [volume] ([Wilmington, Del.]) 1874-1890, 1879-02-20
Cheating the State Out Of Taxes ana
Citizens Out OF Votes.

at special prices.
Cheating the State Out Of Taxes ana
citizens Out OF Votes.
We showed in an article yesterday,
how very difficult and expensive it was
to get assessed, unless the people whose
names were dropped from the assess
ment list by the Levy Court submit to
two years disfranchisement, and
then hunt up the assessor at the nd
of the second year. That these laws
were passed to dis,ranchise Republi-
cans is sef-eyident, but at the same
time that they are disfran chisel, the
State is cheated out Of their taxes un-
less it i, levied upon cal estate. We
have no data at hand that shows how
much is lost in New Castle county by
delinquent taxpayers, the auditors re.
port containing no return from that
county, nor from Sussex, but for Kent,
ther. Ia happily a tabular statement Of
the amount Of d-lnqueneies, which
serve az a guide by which to estimate
the other twO counties.
Frou tilis table We learn that the to-
tai al dslinluenCies in that county for
the year ending March, 1878, was g.
397 so, oat Of a. total assessment of
$55, 975.22. Il ID. same ratio of delin-
luents hold good in New Castle county,
ont OF l46.45t.5E. the total ASSESS
ments, theY. would be- d-linquencies
amounting to about 81 800, and in Sus-
sex county, where thsre was an assess
ment of S35 ,u3s. 50, ther. would be de-
lnquencies amounting to about 81 500;
or a total amount In the State OF about
$l0,797.90. We will be safe In saying
that the poll,tax of tailoring mau in
any Of the counties, is not over dollar,
hence We find that for $40, 1870, out
OF which the State is cheated by the
the present iniquitous laws for the as
sessment and collection of taxes, 1877
citizens are cheated out of their votes,
5000, or three-tourths of them at least,
being Republicans. Here are two glar-
ing evils, which are crying aloud for
redress. Either the State or the real
estate taxpayers have to suffer for the
loss to the State in taxes, the whole Of
that SO, 1890, Of which the montreal
estate owners are relieved, being as
sessed and coll ected from the real estate
owners. The State must have certain
amount of taxes, and if 1927 citzens
Of the State are relieved from the pay
ment Of even dollar eacll, poll-tax, it
il evident that the real estate owners,
manufacturers and merchants must
make good the loss.
We are not at all surprised at the
iestivpness of the property holders un-
der such system Of taxation, and that
We hear murmurs of dissatisfaction at
the unwilingness of the Legislature to
do anything towards stopping the cause
of this crying evil. Then this law
works injustice to the 1927 citizens
in that it DISTINGUISHES them and de-
priyes them from exercising the dearest
rights Of American citi2ens-vOting for
the officers Of their choice. II is USE
less to tell US that these citizens have
q chance to pay their taxes, If they
would. We know all about that seem.
ingly plausible assertion. Let tax
collector sit down and wait for the prop.
erty owners to come forward and pay
their taxes, and lie would soon lind
tha: his delinquent list would be most
wonderfully swollen. but we cannot see
why the law should compel a tax col
l.ctur to call upon a real estate owner
for taX, any more than it should com
pei him to call upon one who only pays
a poll-taX, and make him pay it. The
system Of distran2hisement has begun
to bring forth fruit, as is shown in tn
last November election, when only
about -. 600 votes were cast in tn
State, instead of u, 600 cast two year
previous. It is useless to expect thi
state Of affairs to continue much longer
for the property owners ar" gettin
tired Of paying the taxes, and nearl.
one-half the voters ol the State are get
ting tired Of being cheated out of thei
votes. When the people get full.
aroused upon this subject, which W
are sure they will, there viii no doub
he Indignation meetings held in all tn
counties, and an efficient earnest pro
test will no doubt be made to such I'M
quitou5 laws, that only cheat the Stat
out Of taxes and the non property hold
ers out Of their votes.
- . =
The FLORIDA Morning ''Herad" la
slackened its fire upon the "Every Ey
ening." This is well as it affords on