Daily Republican., 1880-10-09

l I .
there were Q large number who had
been d,sfranchised by bsrsg returned
AZ dslinquents byA the collectors and
\ who could mot be put on at that time
II Bad as this Law Is did It fall upon oil
equally. IL is hard snough nor tht
collectors TO have the power of disfran
chisement; but it is also in their power
to carry the Democrat, snd not return
him a. delinquent but TO keep hin
on until hs has another years grace.
Bat IL was found that some Of the out
going collectors had returned number
Of Democrats and, among the other
duties, l laid before the Levy Court a
list In writing Of the names Of 400 Dem,
Ocrats who had been returned by the
collectors the March previous as delin.
qusnts. dropped OF the assessors lists
and reassessed by the assessors before
twelve months expired. When name
is dropped from the assessors lists it
should not 60 on again for IL months.
l brought that matter to the attention
Of the Levy Court. 1t was treated with
equal silence and to-day the names Of
those 400 Democrats are on the assess.
ment lists. They voted yesterday; they
will vote in November, while great
number Of Republicans have bssn
stricken from the rolls under exactly
similar circumstances, and that in the
face of the fact that called the attention
Of the Levy Court ths opinion given by
counsel, the learned Attorney General,
when the assessor for the Northern dis
trict was Republican, and in which he
stated that the Lsvy Court was bound in
proper construction ofits duty to strike
such pamss from the list. thought
that what was law then is law now, but
it turned out not TO be.
One word more in regard TO the &C.
tion Of the collectors. In this city there
has been some pretty fair conduct on
their part at times, and unfair at others;
but in the county there has been great
unfairness. am told that, only yes
terday, in West St. Georges Hundred,
So Republicans stood waiting and clam.
Oring with their m oney 10 their hands
and the collector refused to accept
their money. was also told that 80 or
40 taxes were paid to the same collec.
tor within the last week by his being
caught at his house before sunrise.
They followed him and watched till he
got up, and the only way they knew
they had him was that there were no
carriage tracks leading from the house
at that honr. Laughter and applause. ]
Now l think have gone enough into
the details of this matter to justify the
proposition with which started out
that thisis not government of law, but
that it is an attempt to be govern.
ment of men.
But the proper discussion of this sub.
isct does not stop here. There Is the
constitution; there is the law; there is
the administration; there in part is the
result. But only in part! What is
the attitude, towards the system, of the
responsible Democratic leaders; Of the
gentlemen Of the party who hold the
positions of trust and honor and CON.
troll; who represents the benefits of
this system and who pose before you
as men OF honor, character and duty
We have at least the right to demand
Of them that they justify their con-
stitution. Gentlemen, men Of high
character, not low partizans, what at
titude should they take towards this
systemi
We know what a crime larceny is
but l think In our law the same pun
ishment ia visited upon the receiver Of
stolen goods as upon the thief. II
these things are done what shall We
say about the men who reap the re
wards of themP This Is, also sorry
story. This matter is not unknown to
them for, during the whole Of the time
that this assessment was proceeding, its
daily page was discussed in the news.
papers, notice was brought home to
these gentlemen of what was being |
done and what was demanded Of them
l say here to might that 1t was In the
power Of their leaders to have stopped |
this business with whisper but that
whisper did not come; they were, as
We would say in the law, ''silent and
oonsentiDg;" (spplause) and not one
word was uttered in our favor, but on
the contrary we had daily from the
press attacks Of all kinds upon the
effort and upon the men who were
making it.
In anticipation Of this struggle-in
the tolls Of such foes and OF such laws
feeling that they owed 1t to them.
selves, their State and their country
that they should assert every right
which the law gave to them, they ap-
piled under the power given by the
protecting shield Of the law Of the
United States for the appointment, of
{ Applause. They invoked
the great authority of the national gov
ernment, whose statutes say that the
election of Congressman and Of Prssi
Dental electors should be supervised.
That application was made to the
United States Circuit Court, and, when
1t became known that the applic ation
had met with favor and was likely to
be granted, the request was made on
behalf Of the Democratic party that
the question should be argued, and
thtrs marched into tina. court q solid
phalsux of Democratic lawyers of the
bar of this county who came there eth or :
BY voics or presence TO enter their pro-
lest against this attempt to supervise
his election. II
Argument was had, the court render t
ID its decision. l allude to that fact
now for this purpose to show the spirit
If the Democratic party with reference Y
10 fair assessment and qualification
If our voters. What law could be q
more fairi 1t appointed supervisors In u
zach election district equally between
he two parties. It gave q Democrat y
ss we'll as Republican to each district 8
"A la ~R Al