Daily Republican. [volume] ([Wilmington, Del.]) 1874-1890, 1884-11-07
The Ca.se Of LEGAL Dsfsss.

ClUoou. III Ii gon0rally supposed that q
Presidential contest brings out . full
vote of the people, ut least more votes
than are cast at any other general cleo
ton when minor ofiicers xr1 elected. 1t
has been the boast OF the Democratic
papers Of Wilmington that Delaware
polls comparatively rs large q vote rs
one-hAlf the States of the Union In pro-
portion TO the population. This argu-
ment was used to rofute the assertion
made by the Republicans, that thou
sands Of voters belonging to their party
had been disfrAnchised by partisan as
sessment laws, and partisan collec-
tors Of taxes
What are the facts of the case now ?
The late campaign was one Of the most
exciting that has ever taken place. II
anybody ever felt like being stirred up
to 60 and vote, they must have reached
that stage Of excitement In this cam
paign. This would necessarily result
in bringing out q large vote. Bas 1t
done SO in Wilmington, has it done no
in other sections Of the State ? Will
mington alone shows an increase Of
the vote over 1880, and even that vote
which almost reaches 10000 Is two
thousand below what should be polled
when the large assessment Of fifteen
thousand is taken into consideration.
1t Is safe to say that twelve thousand
would not have been too large u vote TO
be cast In Wilmington. Even at that
number there would still have been
three thousand left to answer for
transient residents, deaths, aliens, and,
other causes which decrease voting
population.
But it is in the country districts
where the greatest falling of in the
vote is noticeable, and that falling off
is confined TO the Republican vote.
Had the Democrats increased their
vote materially over four years ago, We
might then have supposed that the
missing Republican vote had gone over
to the Democrats. But this is not the
case.
With all the election machinery in
their hands, and = large disfranchised
Republican vote to draw from by
means Of little money, and loose
fraudulent tax receipts, the fact stands
before MS that the Democrats have not
increased their vote, but that
in many districts their vote has
actually fallen below the vote of 1880.
This is proof conclusive that Repu hli-
cans have been shamefully disfranchis-
ed and prevented from voting ON last
Tuesday.
They had an unexceptionable candi.
date for President one that, notwitb.
standing all the Islander and abuse
heaped upon him, inspired every one
who had been = Republican of late
years TO vote for him.
But in the face Of all this the Repub-
lican vote has fallen off. In St.
Georges hundred one half at least of
the Republican voters were disfran-
chised through Mr.. Bayard's unexcep-
t ionable (?) assessment laws. In Pen.
cader, White Clay Creek, New Castle
and other hundreds, thirty per cent of
the Republican voters did not vote
simply because they could not vote,
having been stricken from the assess
ment under partisan laws intended only
to defraud Republicans out of their
votes The result would have been
quite different had all the Republicans
in the county been given anything like
a fair opportunity Of qualifying them
selves to vote. For this wholesale dis
reimbursement of at least two thousand
Republican voters in the county the
taxpayers have to answer in the pay
ment of increased taxes. The county
must have money. The poor ust be
supported. The bridges and cause.
ways must be kept up. The courts
snust be kept In operation. All this
requires money and this money must
be collected from the property holders
principally Of the County. Ii two
thousand Republicans are stricken from
the assessment without any attempt to
collect taxes from them, somebody
mus pay the two thousand dollars oil
taxes which they would have paid had
any collector asked them TO pay.
1t stands to reason that the property
holders Of the county have to make upl
these losses. They have to do this in
order that something called Democratic
rule shall be supreme in the county, but
OF this we will speak more at some
other time. Suffice it to say that the
Democrats OF New Castle County have
triumphed simply because at least two
thousand Republicans have been
cheated out of their votes by partisan
Democratic collectors, backed up by an
assessment law as partisan as the col
lectors are, and 10 do this IL has cost
the county at least two thousand dol
lars which the Taxpayers will have to
pay next year.
THE REPUBLICANS OF Brandywine