The daily gazette., 1882-03-18

HSHAAELEss BRIBERx" ia the term
which a Philadelphia Republican news
paper spplIss to the method BY which
the Republican party Of this State expect
to secure whatever Of success they may
have In Delaware. In . criticism OF
the position assumed by the NOrRinG
.Neaos on the question Of the right Of
suffrage and the manner In which the
Collectors enforce the constitutional
provision of this State, the Philadelphia
Telegraph says:
"They are at It again down In Della
ware over the poll tax issue. Nothing
so exciGes the Blue Hens Chickens as
this annual row over the alleged rights
and the alleged wrongs Of the colored
brother. The whole matter can easily
be grasped by the unsympathetlc out
slider. The payment Of the usual poll
tax Is Prerequisite TO the exercise Of
the elective franchise, but q large pro-
portion of the negroes refuse or neglect
TO pay this trifiing sum to the State; In
. word, they practically declare that
they do not consider thel- elective rights
worth fifty cents q year. Then, under
the law, these denlinquents are justly
stricken from the lists Of voters; "dls-
franchised," as their mistaken apologists
disirgeneously put it. And why should
the Republican politicians abuse the
law and the law officers when the negro
loses his right to vote through bis ewn
wilful and inexcusable actlonp"
Our esteemed contemporary OF Phila-
delphia forget that the government Of
Delaware is SO economically aud honest
ly conducted that our local preSs find
great difficulty to secure, capital upon
which to base objections, and therefore,
their only hope for carrying q majority
at the elections rests In getting the five
or six thousand negroes TO march to the
polls and vote solid for the Republican
candidates. Before the negroes were
allowed to vote, the Democratic major
ity was considered high one If 1t run
up to SIX hundred in this State. But
when tSambo" was pushed up to the
ballot box with bayonet at the back
of a Democrat, the majority of the Dem.
oeratic white mans party increased to
two thousand four hundred. Now, if
the Republican leaders could only get
the constitution of Delaware set aside
until they could smash the poll tax pre-
requisite to . vote, they think they
could vote the whole six Thousand ne
groes for their ticket. But they might
be mistaken. The tax is only 80 cents in
two years, and yet as the negro is ex-
cluded from sll elective Offices he will
not vote unless his tax is paid, and even
then often demands 81 for the loss of
his days work, and sometimes SO or
$40 TO boot before he will vote at all.
They are taught by the Republican and
other Radical newspapers to believe that
the Republican party own Eve sixths Of
all the property and control all the
great shops, own the banks and have
lots of money, and hence arrive at the
conclusion that they ought to pay
negroes for their votes as we'll as pro-
cure the necessary tax receipts.
Thus it is, after having gotten the
negro to the polls on these terms sew
eral times and failed to carry the slec-
ton, they have taught the negro that
his vote is Of no value to the party and
mono to himself either, unless he getl
his taxes paid and his lost time made
up in money. Actually the Democrats
do more for the negro than the Radi-
Gals de. They give them more en-
ployment and pay them better wages
and keep them in moro comfortable
kitchens. The Telegraph comes to
the following conclusion
"But neither in Delaware nor any
other State ought any man be allowed
to vote who permits his poll tax to be
paid for him. The whole system is
d,sgraceful and humiliatinR to the
voter, and demorahzing to the State.
1t is open and shameless bribery oi
the very worst Sort"
The Ncs0s is welcome to all the com.
fort it can get from engaging the at
tention of its able Philadelphia con.
temporary.