Delaware gazette and state journal. (Wilmington, Del.) 1883-1902, 1889-12-26
No ROM r4xes M paOxY.


IasEs bHhh NWthth ny NsOAbs
Sussex journal, Dem,
Tho writ Of msndamus, BY which the
RRpuhlicans 81 Wilmington hope to
enable their followers 10 pay their poll
teXas by proxy, shows that that party is
not yet willing to abide by the procIsma-
tion OF emancipation. However much it
may pirate about the rights Of the coiorsd
man, it ia not wiiling that he shall be
free. It still thinks that the amendment
which gave him the right to vote vested
the right to control his vote in the Re-
publicpn party. heuoe it is not willing
that he shall choose TO pay his poll tax
like o free man; hence it eeeks to carry
the evidences Of his qualification MS 3
voter in its own pocket instead OF
trusting Il in the pocket of the voter
himself. Acting on this narrow view
of the duties and privileges OF citizenship
il has established buresu for the pay
ment OF poll taxes, occurring the city for
mon who are TO negligent TO pay their
own taxes and who think so lightly of
their own manhood that tney will sign
powers of attorney and allow tho bureau
to pay them by proxy and hold the tax
receipts in its own hands. Independent
of the fact that this in small business, it
contains the probability Of fraud. Already
it 10 shown that there are 600 colored
mon On the assessment list, which is more
than the cplorad population will account
for, allowing due proportion to females
and those under age. With the tag
receipts in its on hands it would
| be an easy matter FOR tie bu-
reau or it's hencnman to lind
men to vote on them whether they were
the uersors named or not. Ihreo shoa'
sand poll taxes will amount TO more es9t
| than l 800, OF course, and tins treasury
/ would be that lnucl the richer; bue ths
object Of the tRE is not revenue clone
| 1t pRymeniiamade one of he conditions
citizenship and it is q question whether
| the man who cares so little for the right
! OF Suffrage, who takes so little interest II
political affairs that be will not pay hi
own tag Int allows others to pay it To-
him, is really fitted to be trusted with thi
ballet. But ths Eepuhlicans claim tina
tho Democratic tax collectors will not re
eeive the taxes wien praitsred; that the!
makeit difficult Tor Republicans to Quait,.
AS votera. This ia II point on which there
il u vast amount of testimony on bod
sides. II Seems to be admitted by all
however, that the receipt Of tsxss on res
estate sometimes interferes with tine re
ceipt OF poll tsxes, and that some person
who have preferred the latter ns7e Desi
made TO wait al unreasonable time. hi
should not be ths case. II one mon car
MOI receive taxes fast enough there ough
to be two; Gnd if two are insufficient
there ought to be tous. If one man car
mot attend to both kinds OF taxes, let tn
Office be divided and let one nan receiy
on polIs snd another on real estate.
few minutes should be sufficient FOR en-
man TO pay his poll tax, barring, {
course, those exceptional instances whe
the office is hesieged by crowd. Wit
tax paying thus made essy every ma
ought to pay hia own tax, il he is not &c
feeble to get to the Office. No poll to
should be paid by proxy simply becaG'
no vote shonid be cast by proxy.