Daily Republican. [volume] ([Wilmington, Del.]) 1874-1890, 1888-11-15
COUNTY AssEssmBErs.

and AAlsspsllsd-Bo sure and Get Az
sessod
The next thing on the political pro-
gram is to prepare for the election of
lSVO, when Governor, a Congress-
man, a Legislature, a Levy Court. a
sheriff and a coroner are all to be
elected. II Is within the range Of
probabilities also thOt at the next
general election the people NAV be
called upon to vote for the acceptance
or rejection of revised constitution.
an event made more probable by The
election OF q Republican Log islature
last week.
As there are several thousand dis.
franchisei citizens In the CITY of vii.
mington and the county of New
Oasue, three fourihs of whom at least
being Republicans, who could not and
did not vote at the late election, and
who want TO vote ut the next, It may
DO interesting 10 thsm to Just know ex.
aclly what course TO pursue to become
q voter.
The first thing Is for the assessor to
get to work, and he will have to do it
soon, as he has only until the first OF
January in which to complete his as
sessment Let It be generally under
stood that this is the general assess
ment year, when all male citizens
over 81 years OF age are o be as.
sessed. The assessors will not as on
other years carry with them a book
containing the names of those who
have been returned 10 the Levy Court
as errors.
The present assessment laws,
under which the assessment will be
made this fall, was passed by the
Legislature April 9th, 1873. and is
what Is known as the Bsyard asscss
ment law. That law leaves a big
''locphole" for the assessor to get IN
his fine work. The first section of il
says il shall be unlawful for an asses
sor to place upon the assessment the
name OF any person who is not the
owner In his own right of taxable,
real or personal property, unless such
assessor shall be satisfied from per-
sonal knowledge that such person Is OF
lawful age and is q bonafdo resident
OF the hundred or assessment district.
except as herinealter provided.
How easy ii Is for an assessor not to
know several hundred persons in his
district and leave them off his books,
and it is feared that some assessoss
sometimes make more by not knowing
personally the age of persons to be as,
sessed than he would make II he as
sessed them.
Between now and the first of Janu-
airy, then, 1t is the duty OF the asses.
scr TO Assess all he knows, at least In
his district, and II he is honest, he will
assess the names oil others who.
through other sources thln his own,
he knows are bona dde residents ofthe
district. Citizens can materially assist
the assessor in his work by making
themselves known TO him and express.
ing a desire to be assessed. Ii the
male head Of the house Is not al home
when the assessor calls, the female
head of the house should not be back
ward In giving him the name of every
male person in the family over 81
years of age.
After the assessors have completed
their preliminary assessment, which
they are required to do by the first of
january, their next movement Is,
within ten days after completing it, to
post an alphabetical list OF the persons
he has assessed in each ward of his
district, so that voters eau see whether
their names are upon the assessment.
at the time OF posting the notices the
assessors are required 10 give notice
that they will attend at the City Hall
some day, to be named in said notice,
at certain hour, aud TO close at a
specified hour, for five consecutive
days, for the purpose of assessing
any person who may have been omit,
ted
The personal recognition of the as
SCISSOR of the person applying to be as
sessed will not DO required at this
meeting, but ir lieu thereof, the appli.
cant must apply in person, and provide
also q voucher, who is a real estate
owner, TO vouch for him and TO be
qualified that he is the man he repre.
sents himself TO be. This IS the oath
that a lreeholder has to take In vouch-
lug for q person who wants 70 get as
sessed:
81 .......,.... do swear (oF afirn)
that l an 4 frseholder OF .......
county, aud that .....,.,.,, IA tho
Identical perton he represents bimself
to be, known 10 mo personally 10 be
suehi and that be ia 81 ytara OF aas, and
thst be is q bonhaed resident in ........
a snaoIe ], u ,.....:...... county, IN the
This is tho second opportunity
offered TO get assessed, and any person
omitted by the assessor can now, with
a proper voucher, get assessed. 1t
was this kind Of an assessment that
almost resulted In riot In the City
hall last winter, when rufflans in
police clothing drew their blackiscks
to keep back the Republican voters
who were pressing forward to get as
sossed. They are not assessed yet and
lost their votes at the late election.
The tables will be turned at the next
City Hall assessment. If any police
will be present they will be gentlemen
and not ruiiians.
Alter tue time has expired for max
ing this assessment at the City Hall,
the assessors are required to finish
their duplicates and return them to
the Levy Court on the first Tuesday
Of February, This ends the assess.
ment as far as tue assessors are con-
cefned, but the assessment is not by
any means completed yet. The lie Y
Court now steps in and takes the place
of the assessors, and there is still a
chance left for those omitted. The
Levy Court at its February session
will make out another set of duplicates
containing the names of all assessors,