Daily Republican. [volume] ([Wilmington, Del.]) 1874-1890, 1886-08-19
THURSDAY. AUGUST 10. 1886.
Righteous Retribution.

In 1873 the Democrats passed the
assess nent laws which have enabled
them to hold Delaware In their clutches
and to rule IT rs with a rod of iron.
This was the beginning OF negro snf
frage In the S ate, and rs the negroes
II left alone to vote as they saw proper,
would vote solldly the Republican
ticket, the law was passed with the ex-
pressed purpose OF cheating them on.
OF their votes. 1t was made SO diff cult
to get assessed II an assessor did not
feel inclined to put the name upon the
duplicate, and after wards so diff suit to
pay the poll tax, that entitled to vote,
that the ne voters not understanding
the election machinery, were dlsfran-
chised by thousands, and the dis.
frxnchised included not only the ne "
voters but thou sands Of the old white
voters II they were Republican voters.
The new law put the election machinery
principally into the hands OF the tax
collector Of district who, according to
Its own working, could not fail to be a
Democrat who fully understood the
manner in which he was expected to
discharge his duties. He knew that
the work he was expected most faith.
fully TO perform was to cheat both old
and new voters out OF their votes II
they were Republicans. The changed
law provided q way by which he could
easily do this and yet make pretense
OF doing his duty under the law. The
new law was sent to Washington, to
Mr.. Bsyard, then in the Senate, for his
supervision. Mr.. Bayard well under
stood the purposes OF the law. 1t is
said that the law met his hearty ap-
proval, after he had SO changed the
part governing the returning Of de-
linquents to the Levy Court, making 1t
more easy to disfranchise voter for
two years. Before, only one year had
been contemplated. but Mr.. BAyard,
knowing good thing when he saw it,
had the term OF dlsfranchisement
heightened to Two years. II We are
doing Mr.. Baysrd an injustice, 1t Is
upon Democratic testimony that 1t IL
done. 1t is no uncertainty, however,
that the law WAS sent to him and was
sent back with his hearty approval.
The results of that law are well
known. Republicans by thousands
have been disfranchise at every cleo
tion.
The Democrats have been enabled BY
this dtsfranchisement to hold the State
solid y In their grasp. A system OF
dishonesty in assessing the voters, in
collecting the taxes and In the whole
machinery OF holding the elections, has
sprung up and has been encouraged by
the law and hackers, that has spread to
the masses of the Democratic voters,
and influences the whole mass. 1t is
we'll known now that 1t is next to an
imposstbility to hold az honest cleo
ton, either primary or general. This
assertion will hardly be denied. Look
at the Mayor g election OF last June @
year ago. Look at the late Democratic
nomination election for Sheriff. Loeh
at lss, Saturdays Democratic election
for delegates to the State Conven ton
The whole OF them reek with fraud
and dishonesty, the outcroppings o.
dishonest election law, passed for q
dishonest purpose, the law endorsed
and recommended by the then Senator
Bayard. The Democrats In 1873 sowed
to the wind and Mr.. B4yard was the
sower. In 1856 they reap the whirl-
wind, and Mr.. Baysrd is the chief VIC
tim. He has fallen by the weapon be
made to slay Others, and in his fall
there a.e none to pity him.