Daily Republican., 1879-12-02
usv Celored Peoples school Tax
e. arc Collected.

1 ne moutnly IOPois VI S'
ursr Herbert published in another col
umn, shows little how the County
and State is cheated out of taxes and
the people out of their votes. A loot
note to the report states that John Jor-
dan. A. G. Osborne, James Q. Eagle
and Colen Ferguson, collectors respec-
lively Of Christiana, st. Georges, Red
Lion and Appoquinimink Hundreds,
have not paid any negro school tax to
the County Treasurer. These gentle
men named were collectors for 1878.
A little reflection on the part OF our
readers will call to their minds that Il 9
Legislature of 1875 we think, perhaps
il was 1878, but no matter which,
passed law at the urgent request Of
,hs colored people and number Of
white people, to tax colored people to
support their own schools, so that no
part Of the regular school fund Of the
State should be used for that purpose.
The law gave the collection Of these
taxes into the hands Of the regular
collectors Of the respective Hundreds,
and by them it was to bs paid to the
County Treasurer, and by him paid
ever to the association organized to as
siss in the education of the colored
people of the State, and by that asso
siation it is applied to the purpose
named. Mr.. Herbert's report shows
how some collectors have performed their
duty. The collector of Christiana Hid.
in all the large negro population OF
Browntown, Newport and Csntreville,
Il seems could not find single colored
person out Of which he could collect any
taxes, and as the county and the school
tax Of the colored people are made out in
one bill, of course 1t stands to reason
that DO county tax has been collected
from the colored people and conseq uent-
ly they must be returned as errors and
disfranchised frcm voting. Mr.. Jordan
does not seem TO have found even D. B,
Anderson, q large property owner in
Andsrsonville, and whose tax both
county and school would amount to
considerable, for Mr.. Herbert says over
his own signature that MIR. Jordan las
paid in no negro school tax. A closer
inspection however of the report, shows
that Mr.. Jordan still owes the county
$l727 2S in unpaid taxes and it may be
barely possible that part of this is the
negro school tax, that looks as if it had
been carefully kept back, to keep the
solored people from using it.
James 0. Eagle was collector of Rec
Lion Hundred for 1878, and though
one-fourth of the male taxables Of that
Hundred are colored men, it seems that
Mr.. Eagle has not collected one solitary
cent from the cslored taxables, or il
he has it must be included in the
$l,38e.20 that Treasu rrr Herbert says
is due the county by Mr.. Eagle. From
this statement we are justified in reach
ing the conclusion that Mr. Eagle has
purposely neglected or refused ts col
lect this negro school tax, or il he has
collected any, it must be purposely
reserved in the amount due by him to
the County.
Not We, but Ex-Sheriff Herbert, who
is a truthful man, says that A. g. Os-
born, collector Of St. Georges Hundred
for 1878, has not paid one cont of negro
school tax into the county Treasury
for that year. This is something re-
markable when we consider that there
are about three hundred colored taxa.
bles in the Hundred or over one-third
of the population Of the Hundred are
eolered people. Yet strange as it may
seem Mr.. Osborn could not find a soil
tary colored person in that Hundred
from whom he could collect school tax,
and Of course could not collect any
county tax, while quite number own
This a. q casual glance may seem
strange but when properly understood
it is not strange after al, for if these
school taxes were collected TIE county
tax would also bs collected, and then
all these .colorei men would have a
vote and the Hundred would give somt
$50 or 200 Republican majority. Al
Mr.. Herbert says Mr.. Osborn still owes
the county 81 Al %, the school taxes
OF some of the colored properly holders
nay be included In that amount.
Colen Ferguson was collector for Ap'
pouuinimink in 1878, and is arother O.
those collectors who coull find no col
ored people in his Hundred from whom
he could collect any school tax, though
quite number of them work farms anG
carry on other branches Of business
There are at least one hundred coloret
taxables in this Hundred, but Mr.. Fer
guson, it seems from Mr.. Herbert's re
port, in his search around for taxes
has never come across one Of them, O.