Delaware gazette and state journal. (Wilmington, Del.) 1883-1902, 1885-12-31
Wilmington. Thur.dap, Dec 81, 1895

While holding, IL the plain and honest
language of a writer in the Sunday Star,
that Il Republicans in other states do not
like our assessment laws ''they may go to
thunder, for it is none OF their business, -
IL Is still with some natural qualification
TINT we behold the New York EDcning
Post, a Republican paper, holding up for
their Inspection 9 mirror in which they
can see how some things are done in the
good little state OF Rhode Island. Says
tho Fesnias Post.
''But week remains in which-the citizen
who wishes to vote next year can register. =
Such was the leading paragraph In the edl-
tnral columns OF the Providence Journal
on December 24th. Rhode Island will have
two elections in 1886, one for state officers
and members Of the legislature, on the FIRST
Wednesday in April, and the other for two
representatives IN Congress, on the Tues
day after the first Monday In November.
Tho citizen who wishes to vote in even
the more remote of these elections In 1886
unless he lives In town OF less than ., 900
inhabitants, where the rules enforced are not
so rigorous be registered by the last
day Of 1885, and he must pay registration
tar Of 81 at the time his name Is entered on
the roll Of qualified voters. In other words,
every man living in a city or large town
and majority Of Rhode Islanders live In
che cities Of the state-who wants to cast
his ballot for either governor or congress-
man next year must pay his tax and be
registered before the end Of this year-more
than three months before the earlier cleo
ton and more than 10 months before the
later. He must do this, too, at Just that
eaaaor, ~ tho vaar tyban Tho nnnr man tlnda
1t hardest to spare dollar for anything
outside the necessities of his family.
We Just wish to remind our readers
once more that the census of 1880 and
the election returns of the sama year
show that Rhode Island, with 76,S98
adult males, cast 29,235 votes, while
Delaware with only 98,298 adult males
cast 29,S93 votes. With actually less
than one-half the voting population of
Rhode Island the State of Delaware
really cast 0s more votes. Where does
the Acknowledgement business come in
here?
Surely we could well rest on this show
ing alone and justly demand that the Re-
publican states of Rhode Island, Massa-
chusetts, California, Colorado, Nevada,
Vermont, Nebraska, Oregon, Michigan
and Kansas, in all of which the statistics
of the census year show the percentage of
voters to voting population to be below
that of our own state, should sweep be-
fore their own dooris=ibf,ng their own
states up to Delaware's standSfd-before
their party friends sling any more mud
in this direction. But we would
further ask every fair minded man to
stop and considsr, since the Delaware
assessment system has been picked out as
special target, that in the Republican
state of Rhode Island registry law re-.
quires of the intending voter personal
presence, application and payment of a
fee in cash nom to enable him to qualify
to cast a ballot neat fall. Let us ponder
the words of rebuke which the Eoening
Post goes on to administer;
Human ingenuity eonld not easily. devise
aplan better calculated to reduce the num-
Der OF qudllneu VOTERS, especially among
those dependent for support upon their
daily wages, than this Rhode Island system.
1t was framed by the Republican managers
for the express purpose of weakening the
Democracy, who were stronger than the
other party among the poorer voters in the
great manufacturing establishments Of the
little state. II voters we're allowed to regis
ter until near election day, Democratic
candidates might pay the taxes of poor
men who would vote their ticket.
In fact, they used to do so,
and so forced the Republican managers
to do the same thing. 1t was to break
up this practice and thus to insure their hold
upon the State, that the Republicans passed
this law, which of course practically disfran-
chises some oftheir own party but not nearly
80 many as Of the other. The injustice OF re-
quirlng man to register nearly year be-
fore he will vote for Congressman or Presi.
dent Is SO outrageous that, ii Democratic
state In the south were TO adopt such a sys-
tenn for the sake of keeping from the polls
poor black men, who are expected generally
to vote the Republican ticket, the Republi
can organs at the north would never tire o.
preaching sermons about it. But as it lisa
Republican state in the north which follow.
the practice, for the sake of keeping from
the polls poor white men, u majority o.
whom would vote the Democratic ticket
the Republican organs will have nothing t
say about it.