Evening journal., 1888-11-07
THE STAN ON The STATE.

alf1E , AIN YIN l1E Ola T.
THE election in this city yesterday
demo, st ated that the days of the Bayard
tax collection law are numbered. IL re-
suited in a big majority against govern
ment by assessors and collectors. It
gave a death.blow to the most cunning
scheme Of Acknowledgement ever devised
by Legislative body. The scandals of
the system were so bold and brazen yes
terday that they became ludicrous. TO
see men leave the polls, walk into neigh
boring Offices and there sit down and de-
liberately fill out their own tax receipts
10 which the collector in his haste and
extremity had forgotten to give date
was such a caricature on the ordinary,
decent forms Of qualifying to vote that
IL became ridiculous. Tax receipts were
almost as plentiful as ballots, and scores
and scores Of voters enjoyed the luxury
of declining the proiTered bit of paper
which in justice and dccency would have
been theirs by Legitimate methods.
Without going into the motives which
produced on the merits that belonged TO
the situation yesterday we wish to call
the attention Of every thoughtful, con
scientious man and woman in the state
60 the facts as we saw them, as everybody
that had eyes could have seen them
There is a law providing for the assess
ment of voters and the collection Of taxes
IN consequence Of that assessment. Lit
erally this provides for the orderly assess
ment OF every naturalized male citizen Of
81 years Of age who is a bona fde
resident Of the community. Literally it
provides for the payment Of tax upon
this assessment, as prerequisite Of vot-
ing by every man assessed. But as a
fact these statutes permit neither, that is
they enable the men elected and APP
pointed and sworn 90 execute them so TO
use and pervert them that neither Of
these wholesome and necessary functions
are permitted to the citizen and voter
Last February the assessors absolutely
refused 70 assess hundreds of men who
came to them right fully. upon their invi-
tion, and by the direction Of the law ii.
self They refused this privilege TO hun.
-+Nsss VAN 1ftlAA1A az AAAN AANN man.
Many Of the names which they
did take down were mutilated and
misspelled and thus scores Of others
in this city were disfranchised.
The tax collectors by methods known to
everybody put obstacles in the way of
men properly assessed, who wished to
pay their taxes, although they issued
hundreds Of receipts at the request Of
their intimate friends and associates for
use at the then pending election. They
sat in their Office at inconvenient hours
for workingmen and otherwise they con
spired to keep men from paying their
taxes. All this happened less than six
months ago.
Yesterday brought forth whatg In
their desire to elect one or two men on
their ticket these tax gatherers gave
forth hundreds of receipts to men who
were not allowed to be assessed last Feb
ruary, or if they were then assessed, were
subsequently refused receipts by the col
1ectors themselves. Hundreds of these
receipts, signed for example by ''John T.
Dickey' in his own handwriting and
dated November 3, 1888" were scat.
tered broadcast over the city. The men
who handled them made no secret Of IL.
-'Only vote for Hickman" was their sole
injunction. Hundreds Of men who had
been DISTINGUISHED by the old familiar
methods were suddenly endowed with the
qualifications or voter Men who had
called upon the collectors last and May
were told that their names We're not on the
books were secretly informed on Monday
and yesterday that they were assessed
after al" and should call at No. 602l
Market street for their receipts.
These are the cold facts. The applica
lion Of them must be obvious to any
thoughtful and patriot citizen. Can this
state of things continueg We think not
The honest sentiment Of the state de
mands the abolition Of the entire system
OF assessment and tax collection. The
public opinion Of the state, the con
science Of the community. viii surely
mot permit these laws to disgrace the