New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1885-12-21
THE DIoFRANCHISED STATE.
SYSTEMATIC CHEATING IN DELAWARE.

DIsfrsncEisement" in Delaware has attrac~u se"o
attention here whoro the fact- are we'll Kho"h' VI,
Rayarh's pocket borough IA so small noth III oi'
ovept and opua alton that every intelligent cltzeh III
II can easily master the details OF the question:
Judgment cannot be confused by crude CONGRATULATIONS
bnsed upou CENSUS tables aud comparisons OF Perceh
ages OF voting populations in various STATES 49,
eIIinfotmed IN AID In Delaware knows that the aroIo
was accurate in every respect and DO attempt H'Io
here To break the force OF Mr.. Rce5 lhdicVh'"' VI
noca methods Of the Democratic party 1t is notor'
ous fct that Republicans DISTINGUISHED mere Dy s!s
tcn,atic trckery and deliberate CHEATING Ior "hio" "
Rayard is to be held largely responsible
penuhIcans do not assert that the legislation ny whic
h ~, or S3l has been perverted for partisan purposes
Is aimed exclusively against negroes On the coh"i',
they affirm as Mr.. Rice has stated, tht IL Is ulIeo'e
against Republican voters generally III IooV I"o '
uopulntion included 6O777 White and 1881 Dack 'o
pereen,age Of coorcd being %. No" thero Is No
Repubic,n in the state who charges that inc heeroo'
ro inundated and derived OF the right OF suffrage ny
any of the high handed methods employed In Tue oou'n
curing recent years. The real accusation Is tha'
and colored Republicans alike are DISTINGUISHED Wy ''
working politicians OF the Democratic party with as
bnnes devices similar to practised successfully III
every Southern State.
The testimony Of public spirited men in Delaware fully
srst,ns Mr. Rices exceedingly moderate statement OF
facts Anthony ggins, OF tue abieSt lawyers In
the state remarked this morning: VI COURSE VIZ
are DISTINGUISHED people in precisely the sense Oh hat
term explained by Mr.. kce. The laws mere, nave pceh
SO utterly perverted for partisan ends that we no longer
have a Eerubcau form Of Government. We are Ill the
,tion of che American colonies before the Revolution
We have system Of taxation without representation.
Washington Hastings Ia native OF Delaware, ana vice
president and general manager OF the Seoe ~ mast
ings Company, manufacturers OF IRON "uu S'oo
I'm 1882 he the candidate of the Republican party
for Representative in Congress- Hc 10 equally eAPci'
on this subject. lie says:
Tho outline of facts tho bottom OF our dsfranchls
ment, Is drawn exactly as 1t Is 10y Ar iIce ING P"o
exulaincd by any number or nsr ions III Oruet u
vote here, - mnst be asstssed ana must pay INN
the first prerequisite to the right or sunrage n 10 nave
no vtrs iuc ON an assessors taX-llst The assesror
completes his in February Of ta;h year lhen
.nurt meet, on the first Tuesday IN March, as
ror OF aipea to scrutnze the assessment list ana
place such names ~ the assessor mas ol,tru'
~ tbe Rrpu1lictn parry in Newcastle County.
nIficl orc,niiItlon to ascertain from the posted st
of tbe assessor the names OF such Republican 'aeIs Us
may have been omitted him. aud to see to II that
No. ma ues gers added To his list Committees have
been appointed hud the residences OF the mr u"I as
sess, aud to get tucm together at certain tlne ana
nnce FOR the purpose OF taking them personally before
the levy and having their names duy rIollsl
viii ave you example of ON" result OF our
To comply with the law. In l-sO committee OF whfh
member ascertained that some I'VE h9Ldred nanes
OF Ecpubican voters IN Ne~chStIe SOnuty n.i D C
omitted from the lists posted by the ASSESSORS our
committee therenpon took means t. llently ana assei
those voters. IL was not easy W lo lu9, w eo
mon we're scattered all over the county anu h "e To
court they 10 nc 'teu
IN groups kept together transported, lodged aud fed
for about week. In the ease NJ each oae 81 tnese
omi' ted voters II required that ireehodrr st'id
- voucher for him. under nat ana teEoIy rs 10 hi9
and rcsideuce Now wit Wa t.e r','ilu vi az
met We seventy men before lt-troh wilmington 10
Newcastle. the old county scat Her oeEhn the tga
10 gin it, unwilling attention Then each applicant Tor
assessment subjected To series ot questions py
INC various members o. the levy court occupyna rom
a ouartrr OF an hour to an hour aud half. After all
M red tars very rehj. when pnssnl pretext could
80 called up mud qies oued AT length TO his owner
snip ~ real esate. ami his personal knowiedgc OF he
n"T,ms nutii in the AFTERNOON aud. this nrst
ia nssesSingeignt ~ the seventy tiken
~ NeWcas, Tor the purpose. had 10 be taken
I back To Wilmington. for board ana lodging ubul tne
next day subsequent sitting OF tue evy-conr
A memorable and ludicOus incident Oi this orcasOn
was that ~ those light men assrssed WAS tenant
of one Democratic m"ubero Oi tue leVycourt anu
Ind iyad in his house for years. NrYerthriess, inc
identity and rrsdeno OF the tenant had 10 be established
los voluntary testimony AT the END OF week we cue
ccedeI placing tho assessment lists about one thrd
OF ,hr number Of names We took fefore the levy
names. remember which ought 10 nave Deen ehroen u
the the start IN the regular course Of ther
sEuru Official duty. The other twOtirds OF ITO mar rs
that rel to put upon the lists never kot there Inc
eauiies and the Costumes Of the law tired u out as
in. to procure Justice and gave II up In tins Illus
ALTON have given You only one oI many instances IN
which law abiding citizens OF Delaware have iaOored
with great To preserve their political rights put
have iauOrcd In vain.
No Republican IN Della complains Of the original
Iont, stutate, which originally intended AS fair
ond honest registry law What they do complain OF is
the manir uatlon OF tie lists by Democratic assessors
under tie authority OF recent statutes approved by Mr.
BayHd and PASSED the Democratic Les sature for the
express purpose OF guiding down the Republican vote
In 1850 over 200 citizens whose names should have
been placed the assessment lists demanded In body
their restoration to citizenship. that demand
met Every obstacle thrown in the way OF placing
their names the lists. The officials instead OF netting
IN good faith frttered time by unnecessary ad
ournnents and played with these citizens whose griey-
ances 1t their duty 10 redress The ordinary
pracce Is for the assessors TO drop from the lists
many Republican names as possible, practically dis
qualifying those for two years; and at the same
fine 10 keen As many names OF Democratic deliuquens
IA they choose upon the lists TO enable arty man
ayers before election to pay the dues and bring out
fa vote. Ordinarily this Is done under legal sanction.
but sometimes the action is clearly illegal In Newcastle
County 800 Democrats who had returned in 1850
rs dclmquents, ana whose could not under the
law Of s73 bc placed upon the assessment lists within
year, nevertheless enabled to vote in defiance OF
law when apT cal made to the levy court TO
undo this great wrong, answer was made. nothing
done
The Hon T. G.. Bradford direct descendant OF GOV
ernOr Bradford, OF Massachusetts, but native OF Della
ware has been a member OF the LEGISLATURE and Ia fully
with the political nquites ractsed In this
state expressed his opinion, when consulted him,
great elaboration, though with lual earnesness
! give it to you in his own words:
No rightminded Dclawarean. whatever may be his
political affiliations, understands the purpose and
ouer ton OF the assessment and collection laws or this
state ia their relation the OF the elective tIan
cAise tho O that system before the
country large without certain sense OF humlliaton
lie that his State has been publicly dsguced
No one who has lent his couhtrhahco or support 10
that nlautUus system. II lac be "A man OF any sensl-
bty. behold its public exposure without secret
feeling OF shame and guilt A. Republican OF Della
ware keeny alive the dishOnOr that has come upon
the State. find 1t difficult TO mention the subject With
ONT inc display of some warmth Yet It is certainly
hest for the results, that the lcgazed political
| fraud which grossly wrongs the Republicans OF
! Delaware under n Democratic State Administration,
should have light OF National publicity shed upon il
| TO tho fullest extent
The North IBercdn Rericp aptly summarizes the sit
uaon here when II says that " there seems To DO no
onbt That the old Commonwealth Of Delaware Is sub
santiay IN possession OF thoroughly organized band
OF poca plrators, who have taken out OF the
LII lana ILL., .l...l