The daily gazette., 1880-04-03

THE TRIBUNE's CoRREsPoNDENT
MIsLED.-We do not pretend to say
that Mr.. Smalley, the travelling cor
respondent Of the New York Tribune
intended to be untruthful in his letters
from New Castle to that journal last
week, but he is so extremely SO that
1t seems necessary for us to take some
notice of his letters and point out the
most important errors. In the letter
dated the Both of March, he says:
1.-THE Constitution Of Delaware makes
every male citizen Of over 81, q voter pro-
vided he has paid a county tax within
two years Of the election at which he
offers to vote, which tax should have
been assessed at least six months before
said election. But In their election law
Of 1873. and their method OF enforcing It,
the Democrats pay little attention to the
Constitution. They require of a voter not
only that he should have paid all taxes
property, poll, school. road and even the
dog tax II he owns a dog. A man who
fails to pay cannot vote unless he has.paid
all other taxes assessed against him."
The Republican of this city copies
that letter and we clipped from it the
above quotation ; and in referring to
the letter editorially the Republican
says:
"These communications to the IyD,es
and Tribune are truthful portrayals of the
political situation in Delaware and the
manner set forth as TO how Republicans
are disfranchised is true to life. There is
no Imagination about it,"
We do not charge the Republican
with affirming to the falsehood in
the letter to the Tribune purposely ;
but it does affirm to the falsehood
nevertheless. 1t may be through
ignorance. But we hardly think so
(unless some fiedgling has turned
editor y and, therefore, cannot escape
believing that it is done from choice,
and that the wickedness of peryerting
thet ruth for.party ends must take the
consequences. For people who are
misled are sure to be resentful. The
truth is that suffrage is more free in
Delaware than in any of the boasted
New England Republican States, even
as the falsehood represents it, and Mr..
Smalley knows this.
But in Delaware no man is excluded
from the elective franchise ,oho pays his
poll tar, ii matters not whether he Is
negro or white. In the Northern Repub
lican States, white men are not allo,ued
to cote unless they hold real estate and
can read and torite, and negroes are ex
ciudod or not on these terms, as the
election laws and officers dictate. but
the taxes are collected of them whether
they vote or not. In Delaware of men
who do not own real estate no prereaul-
site to suffrage Is required except the
poll tax, which upon such is yery
light, and upon laborers and especially
negroes, is generally between so cents
and 81 annually.
1t Is therefore not true that the laws
or the election officers either "reauire of
voter not only that he should have
paid all taxes-property, poll, school,
road and even dog tax, if he owns a
deg. A man who fails 70 pay cannot
vote unless he has paid all other taxes
assessed against him."
1t Is fact that in this city and In the
State anywhere the man who is assessed
according to law and procures bis county
tax receipt is permitted to vote. In
some of the hundreds, the school, road
and the dog taxes are collected by Re-
publicans, while the county tax is col
lec.ed by Democrats In all the hundreds
There Is no State tax in Delaware.
The correspondents reckless asser.
tions ia reference to Senator Baysrd are
as false as his assertions we have lust
eontradicted, and even more absurd.