New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1885-11-29
Mr.. B1YARpS rOCKLT BOBOTGH.

the destiny of English democracy.
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DIR. BIYARHS FOCKLT B0ROFGH
Delaware Las been Know. for Sey cral gcucr-
ations as the pocket borough of the Bayari
family. + isa State where Republicans to-day
are ~ thoroughly DISTINGUISHED by legal
eLicaperv rs any community OF negroes IN
Mississippi is deprived by intimidation and
criraces of The rights of citizenship. This fact
is established in an admirable Article in IHe
North american Eccicr BY the Editor, Mr Allen
Tho,ndike Rice. The various STAGES in the
process, are clearly explained, and Mr. Bayard
is shown to have fully accepted responsibility
for a system of direct political larceny.
The Wing party in 1881 adopted a consttu-
ton containing a provision that in order 10
become an clector citizen of proper age must
pav a county tax. The original purpose was
the establishment of a registry law with Il
rcouncmcnt for The completion 81 The regis
trlcd lists six months before election. poll
tax ranging from eighty cents t. three dollars
was required of all electors having nU tdN1bIc
property The collectors were held responsible
for the return of every tax unless they could
show that those whose assessments were
unpaid were too poor to pay them. There WAS
no pcrvctsion of this honest registry Law until
the negroes were enfranchised by the Con,titu-
tional Amendments. In March, 1872 by
concerted action the collectors of taxes, all of
them being Democrats returned the names OF
large numbers of negroes us dead OF aS
having LEFT the State These returns were
adopted. and the blacks vino had neither died
nor left the State were DISTINGUISHED. The
outrage was not contaminated without resist
i. h.. al ,sf
were indicted, convicted and fined by the
United States Supreme Court for denying 10
the negroes the equal right TO quality to vote
because of race and color
The problem which the Degro-haters then
sought to solve was how to disqualiiy "a black
voter by State legislation without technically
violating a Federal statute. The Democrats
having a two-tbyds vote in ihc Legislature
passed in 1873 special laws for disiranchising
Republicans in general, without distinction oil
race or color. Under these statutes the
collectors were allowed on the first Iucsdaj oi
March to MAKE return of dc,lnquentN to tie
levy court and to drop their names Tor twelve
months As the asseSSOrs would complete
then new lists in February of the next year
before the expiration of the year Of exclusion,
this meant disqualification for two years
and even then the process Of reinstatement
would involve serious expense and much delay.
As these provisions applied to delinqnentS who
had not paid their poll-taX, poor or careless
negroes were thus csc.uded trnm voting. Bui
it was necessary to make some provision by
which Democratic delinQncnts would be
enabled to vote nine months after the assess
ment lists had been prepared. This was easily
done by leaving it optional with the collector IN
March whether he should return the non tax
payer AS a delinquent or keep him on the list.
The collectors being Democrats have accord
ingly returned cOlOred men as delinqucnts and
retained Democratic names on the lists for
their own party uses. In November the poll
tax of a delinquent Democrat can be paid and
his vote secured, but a black mans name is not
on the list and he Is deprived of the right of
suffrage In this way the State, as Mr..
Rice aptly says, is substantially in possession
/" of thoroughly organized band Of political
conspirators, who have taken the law out of
the hands of the people and hold it under
"theIr own absolute dctatiOn."
Who is responsible for the Acknowledgement
of the colorcd race in Delaware This is a
pertinent question to which Mr. Rice returns
an unequivOcal answer. The defence of the
collectors indicted and fined for violating the
Federal statutes was conducted by Mr.. Bayard
and Mr.. Gray, now United States Senator. The
most objectionable features Of the State enact
ments by which the Federal statutes have been
set at naught We're the work of Mr.. Bayard
himself. This he acknowledged in political
speech delivered in Wilmington three years
ago, justlfyng his handiwOrk as means of
enabling bis State to oludo the penalties Of
Federal law. BY means OF such low trickcry
aud such rank dishonesty as Mr.. Rice so well
describes, the Secretary of State is enabled
whenever he returns to his home to repeat the
sentiment which he once expressed with 50
much fervor: My fellow men thank God
can still say my fellow white men r.