Daily Republican., 1880-02-09
Then ana NOw-The Difference.

Some few years ago, assessors, Levy
Courts and tax collectors exhausted
every measure known and provided to
get the citizens assessed and get them
TO pay their taxes when they were as
s4ssd. There was no question as to
whether this one was d Democrat or
another one was a Republican, it was
money the county and State wanted,
and every one of votable age was com.
pelled to pay his proportionate share OF
taxes. In those days no excuse was
taken from the tax collectors for the
return of persons as delinquents, ex-
cept for inability, death or removal
from the State Of such delinquents.
Tax collectors at times have had to
proceed to extreme measures before the
Levy Courts would allow for deliu-
quents. The doctrine prevailed then
that as the State protected its citizens
all its citizens of voting age and all
who were property holders who were
not voters should also be made to bear
portion of the burthens of the State,
While this honest plan prevailed all
who were compelled to pay taxes took
more interest in State affairs, as they
all felt that they were interested. As
result of this impartial policy almost
everybody that was taxed, except aliens
and few females who held property,
was qualified to vote, and hardly ever
failed to do 60 no matter what party was
in power. A glance back for decade
shows that ten or twelve years ago the
vote in the State was as heavy as it is
now, generally ranging from 5000 to
900 votes. At the last election in
this State only about 13, 900 votes were
polled though the population was pro-
baby e, 900 greater than it was ten
years before. The question will ma
turally arise on the part of some in.
quisitive minds as to what caused this
great falling off in the vote of the State.
There is but one truthful answer that
can be made to this inquiry, and that
Is this Disfranchisements." By
whomf BY the Democratic party.
As soon as the fifteenth amendment
to the constitution was adopted which
admitted colored men to the right
of franchise, these manpulations
were commenced by ths Democrat un-
der the suppcsition that the newly
made voters were all Republicans, the
t'uth Of which required no other dem
onstration. Here was an emergency
tnat had to met some how, but where
there were 30 many Office holders inter. |
ested plan was soon revealed, which |
son changed the anticipated large Re-
publican majority in the State into
minority. The present State Chancel-
lr, Willard Salisbury, who was then
United States Senator, having sufficient
astuteness to know how prejudicsd |
the white people were to the negroes
voting, raised the Standard of a "White |
mln's party" in Delaware. Samuel |
To vnsend and other leaders of the party |
rec ;hoed the sentiment, and hundreds
who up to that tina had been allied
to the Republicans went over to the
Democrats, and the most of them re-
main there still. With all this how
ever the State was not 80 surely Dem
ocratic that a very small thing might
wrest it from the Democracy. Under
thess circumstances an appeal was
made to the Legi ,iature, which at that
time w.s two-thirds Democratic, to
amend the assessment and collection
laws. Up to that time assessors could
assess without the applicant being
compelled to procure freehold
voucher to prove that he was who he
represented himself TO be. Up to that
time the collectors were required to
call upon tax delinquents once, twice,
thrice and endeavor to collect their
taxes, and it was only when they had
exhausted every effort including that
Of imprisonment, that they were al.
loved to return them as deIinquents by
the Levy Court. Up to this time it was
the object and aim Of whatever party
was in power to collect taxes from every
body assessed, that all might assist in
helping to bear the burthens ofthe State.
But here change took place. Honesty
in State Government so far as partisan
politics were concerned, was thrown to
the wind. The old law relating to as
easements which had stood the test from
the time the first Constitution of the
State was adopted had now to be
changed, by hedging it around with {
such requirements as would debar the
great mass Of colored voters from get
ting assessed. A law was passed for ,
bidding an assessor tSplace upon his +
lists the name Of a person who had a
year before been returned as an errsr,
and also that no person could get as
sesssd after the middle Of January
without bringing forward freeholder, Z