Delaware gazette and state journal. (Wilmington, Del.) 1883-1902, 1888-10-25


And BY this system the South has domi
mated the country.
THE ASSESSMENT LAWS.
Here in Delaware we are called upon 10
vote for President, and how are we nxed
In this county alone 5000 citizens sre
DISTINGUISHED. When they applied TO the
assessors ct the city hall they met with
the most INSCRIPTIONS opposition. Ia
this the assessors we're assiSted by the
chief Of police and his cffioers, In the
most soandalous manner, insulting repu.
table citizens who went there to aid 10
the work and admitting Democrats
through the back door. Then they went
10 the levy court, from which body better
things were expected, but met with even
worse treatment. And thus It is that
5000 cifizhns Of this county stand
stripped of their dearest rights. And
when I think OF this great wrong say
this: They have not robbed uB or broken
into our houses at night with intent TO
commit felony, or taken our personal
property, but when I compare the mag
niiuds of their theft with that OF the bur-
glRr or The thief, the preponderancs Of
my respect goes with the burglar and
the thief. Great applause. There are
men In the levy court who have enjoyed
the respect Of the community. but they
deserve it no longer. II public opinion
can condone crimes like this, then we
have lost the last veatige Of freedom.
Great applause
But more than this. When the Demo
Gratis Rsiued control of this county, in
1870, there was no debt. Now the county
has q debt of S573, 800, and what is there
to show for it2 Only the court house,
which cost less than 800, 900, and which
ought to have been paid for long ago,
and an almshouse which IL palace for
paupers. [Applauae / do not know
the cost Of maintaining our paupers, but
l am very sure that had the almehousa
not been built, we would have saved
money by keeping them at the Oonti-
mental Hotel. [Great applause
WAS THsBE THEFrs
We want to gat at the books. Ihayo
good reason to believe that much OF this
money has been stolen. Why did suoh
honorable oitizsns as Columbus Watkins,
Nathaniel Williams and James Bradford,
retire from the board Of trustees Of the
poor7
Then, there ia our city debt Of
81, 4i4 262, and aside from the water
works aud our undevelopeti parks, what
is there to show for it2 Look Of your
streets. Successive prodigate city coun-
oils steadily refused to levy enough taxes,
and every two years went to the I,eRisla-
ture and had loan authorized TO fund
the floating debt. At last the people re-
belled, and tbs System of commissions
was inaugurated, and tho people are nov
protected from the rsscals.
The same corrupt influences went fur.
Their and attempted TO control the com.
missions, the members of which are ap-
pointed by the mayor. But the election
OF Republican mayor, through fortu-
nate sohism in the Democratic party, pre-.
vented this.
Who have the Democrats nominated for
assessors? The very men who are re-
sponsiole for the city hall ousrages. And
who is their candidate for levy court
The man who, as member of the court,
calmly sat back and looked upon the
work Of the ASSESSORS
IL man cannot cast his ballot in per.
feot freedom In the ntate 10 which be re.
sides, 1t Ia not free state. Our interests
ara in peril until We take our State from
the infi1 hence Of these laws, and make
Delaware what she ought to be--one of
the free states OF this great country.
Mr. Higgins sat down amid perfect
storm Of applause and cheers. Imms-
diately thereafter the audience burst into
q wild roar Of calls for Chairman Bird.
who bore II for a minute, when, "a thers
wore nc siEns of cessation, he arcsc.
aIap AJs DO hungry, he said Ha de
On g make any addftss then, but said
that 'atar in the oaDpsisn he would
probably address the people of Whining.
ton at length upon the great Issues at
stalks.
The Rev. j. 8. Willis of Milford was
also called for, and responded In two.
minute address, In which he predicted
the election of Harrison and set the audi.
enee to cheering wildly.
Then the meeting adjourned, and the
Republicans departed greatly pleased.
Ths meeting, despite the rainy weather,
had proved n success in nearly every re.
spect. II was plainly noticeable, how
ever, that the tariff speeches. notably
denerM binBham's, fell dat and produced
no Impression. But Mi. Higeins red
hot rahlpg over Of local questions was
decidedly rRcy, and made the meetinp
one OF the most interesting OF the cam,
paign.
Dr. a. Go