The daily gazette., 1882-04-21
FRIDAT. APRIL Al. Iss2.

FRIDAY. APRIL Al, ISS2.
MASSACHUSETTS VS.. DELAwARE.-
The Morning. NesOs, of this city, has
Joined with Massachusetts news
paper in an effort to misrepresent our
laws and slander our people. The
Massachusetts, paper might be excused
on the score of ignorance, if it were
not presumption to interfere at all as
to the laws which DclawRreans chose
to enact for their own government.
Delaware has been governed under its
present constitution since 1889, and it
contains q clause requiring the pre-
payment Of tax as prerequisite to
vote. The constitution of Delaware was
formed under the Wing party. After
the Democrats secured control of the
State they reduced the tax to about
OneAthird the amount it formerly was
for the laboring people and mechanics.
They also struck the tax on property
off, SO that man ia our city might
vote without paying the tax on all of
his property. And now every man
who pays tax, and has been resi-
dent of the State one year may
vote. The poll tax for laborers is
from 90 cents to $3.50. He must pay
this tax between June and February,
or his name will not appear on the
assessment list as a voter. That is all
there is in it.
The Morning NesOS, in copying from
the Massachusetts, paper, and COM
menting upon the article, says:
"The patience OF the numerical msjori-
" in Delaware therefore neither proves
this majority to bs composed of towards
nor disproves the existence of wha,
amounts to Democratic usurpatlon Of
popular rights"
Perhaps a more willful falsehood
could not have been uttered than is
contained in the above. For it is q
fact that both parties polled an i'm
mense vote at the last election. The
majority at an election is an excess of
voters, and voters are men who have
qualified themselves for suffrage ac-
cordiRg to law. or this number the
Democratic party received majorities
ranging from 900 to 1900 in the State.
In our State every citizen may vote
en- payment Of a poll tax. The Demo
cratic party is not guilty Of "nsurpa-
tion." ~
In Massachusetts the man who hap
pens to be born poor and cannot read
or write is not allowed to vote at all.
And it 30 happens that a very large
number Of men who are born in Ire
land and other parts of Europe are
thus denied the right to vote in Massa-
chusetts even if he holds property and
pays tax. Others who can read may
be kept out of votO because they dc
not own property. This is so in
Rhode Island. So that the Delaware
laws upon suffrage are more free thar
either those of Massachusetts, OF
Rhode Island, both governed by the
Republican party.
"And now we win whisper something
to the Republican VIII ich 1t will do well Il
heed. You call New Castle the meanest
city because 1t deprives its little innocent
co ored children OF their fair share in q
piece ofpublic property which New Gas.
tie holds in trust for them as much as II
does for white children. But this dirty
piece of rascallty is done by the Dem O.
cratic government of New Castle, and the
Democratic government ofNew Castle Ii
run and controlled by "Bin Herbert" ;" ant
"Bilp Herbert is the most efficient ant
faithful henchman in Senator Bayard
local band. What terms do you thinl
that you ought to employ the next tim
you speak of this paragon of politica
rectitude, Thomas F. Bayard?"
The Trustees of the New Castl,
Commons" property are chosen by ,
popular election of citizens of th,
town. At the election few days agc
the Republican ticket for assessor re,
ceived "a votes and the Democrati
ticket 2OS. On the City Council
ticket the Democrats received 25S an,
the Republican &C. MIR. William Her
bert is Democrat and has taken th
deepest interest in all the improve
ments OF the town and built perhap
three times as many houses as an,
other gentleman in the place. In fac
he is held in the light of progressiv
and enterprising citizen whose worl
benefits all classes. Hence he is vote
for by negroes as we'll as whites VIII
are not members of the Democratl
party. He is the President of tn
City Council, and his influence IS car
for the Democrats, hence the abu iv
language by the New Yorker's organ
We owe it to the people of Ne,
Castle to say that they have acte
wisely in following The advice of MI
Herbert, since what he does and ha
done has tended TO improve thai
town and increase the value of thei
property.
ADEoIsIoN has just been rendered b,