Delaware gazette and state journal. (Wilmington, Del.) 1883-1902, 1890-10-16

The election now coming on Is one Of
which we choose oil branches of our
state government. Flow we are to select
ak Of the nine State senator's aud n gov.
ernor, and have filth to believe that
the man who will be elected governor ia
now on this platform. [Applsuss.
The Republicans have not bad control
of the Legislature of ID .!sware sincs 1854.
For SO years the Democratic party has
been in charge Of the legislation OF this
State. Il says IL IN willing to stand on its
record and we will now try it on that
record. It has continued in power
because, ainoe 1872, men have not had in
this State the free right to vots. II was
ip that year the law was passed that en-
atled the levy courts 10 disfranchise clti-
zons at will. Ia 1883, the Rsuublican
party cast in this city but 34S7 votes,
while in 1884 tho vote was 4, 1886. In 1856,
the Republican party, for the second time
in its history, laid down Its arms and
took 10 part in the election.
Here Senator Higgins brenched of
into review OF the case of Frieszlsben.
who was returned as au error to the levy
court, and subsequently sued the levy
court for dropping him from tho assess-
mant ljsts. He said he IVES not here to
find fault with the decision of the court
In that case, but he was here to appeal
from that decision TO the fnal tribunal Of
the people, Tho operation OF the laws,
he AGi3, had disfrAnchiaed 600 citizens
Of this city, who oGGld not vote at tue
! last election. He argued that rs the poll
tax imposed on voters was not necessary
to the demands Of the State guvernms snt
there was no need OF its imposition. The
Democratic party is Responsible for the
Wholesale disiranohssmen of Republi-
cans that has prevailed under the oIiEting
law. When the law was Brought before
the court ii Was defended by senator
Gray and other Democratic leaders.
Mr. Higgins objected TO the features Of
the ag5eHsment law that required men to
| qualify themselves for voting by the pay
ment of tAeir taxes nine months before
the general election. Men went TO pay
their tax0g, but could not find tue col
leJtors, who just at that time were busy
outside of their offices, collecting prop
erty taxsR and singing at funerals. And
these subterfuges went on until the Re-
publiosns, believing that it was lawful
OF any time tu pay tax, adopted the
plan of attempting to make the payment
of taxes by powers of attorney. Then
tho issue was taken to court and the
court decided that while the collector was
bound 10 accept taxes tondered under
power of attorney yet he had o right to
demand the identification of those whose
taxes were thus sought to bs paid.
Tue Democrats claim thai there hag
been no maladministration in tine affairH
of State under Democratic rule. l do
not know whether school books has any
thing to do with this or not. Applause. /
But, what is the record in local affairs Z
In 1870, when the Democrats came into
power in this county, there was no bonded
debt. In 1890 the gross debt Of Della
ware counties had Increased 13 05 per
cent, and New Castle county had bonded
debt of $500, COO. For what was this
debt oreAted2 There is nothing to show
for IL hut the almshouse and q court
house, built on land donsted by the city
for tn purpose. Or The bonded debt,
5000, 600 was incurred for the purpose of
funding floating debt. The law that
authorized the funding Of this debt pro-
hibited the creation of nny further floating
debt in excess OF $40, 900 in any ons year.
The floating debt of $200,000 was re-
duced to $3.50, COO and subsequently in
creased TO $l7U,000. Next, tnere was
authority given to add $290,00U to the
bonded debt for the erection of the new
RlmshOuse. Ii was to be paid out Of the
proceeds of the sale OF the old slmshonse
property, but the proceeds have thus far
been insufficient for the purpose, although
the debt has been reduced to $237, 600.
Thin debt has been reduced $l4, 900 dur
ing the paht year. Part Of tho debt con-
sists OF Sl0, 600 note and outstanding
orders to The amount of S6, 500. The total
floating deb. OF the county ia $83, 900, and
if II D smocrstio levy court and Legislature
ars elected, you may safely bet that ap-
rlication will promptly bs Hsds to add
the floating debt Of SS3,000 to the
bonded in ebtedness of the county.
THE levy court levied enough taxes,
but if they had only collected ghe tax xes
and expended them honestly alter oollec-
tion, they could have been enabled TO
psy Sl0, 900 per year on the bonded debt
as requirsd by law. =...a-...-. ..-.
Mr.. Higgins next referred to the
amount nf the error Hsts, $22 600 in 1886,
and $4,000 in eDch year of 1887 and
1858, and said that at least 012 900 per
year Of these amounts could have been
collected with proper effort. And yet
Democrats who had beon returned as
errors were given tax receipts and allowed
10 go to I'll polls and cast their ballots.
Nj. Higsins next reviewed the various
expenditures Of the levy court. He told
of q levy clursmon who put up his first
bridge for 300, while his next bridge,
which was not half as good, cost over
So 600. Many abuses, he claims, had
been allowed to creep into the business
of the levy court. He next pnid his
respects to the sherif's feed bill. J'he
jail is always full of pTisonerS. for whom
the a1erif receives 30 cents per day each
for board, while up in Chester county
the cost Of feeding prisoners is but eight
etnts per day.
MIR. HiggjOs claimed that the funded
debt OF Esw Castle ,unty should never
have been contracted and that the costly
Glmshpuse and insane asylum should
nsyer haYe besn built. The amount
renlized by The sale Of tho old almshouse
property should have been sufficient TO
build the new structure.
On city affairs Ssna.cr Higgins dwell |
at Bone length. Ho said much OF the |
bonded hest Tss contracted by funding |
floating debts. Taxes increased until |
city and couusy rate. amounted to 90 80 |
per hundred on fell valuation of prop |
erty. So inefficient did the city govern |
ment become that the streets and sewers |
were pat into she charge Of commission,
leaving to the city fathers cnly the duty |
of levying taxes and elestiaR a few cfiices
There WAS stiil loft, however, the right
to hold committee meetings at 90 cents
per meeting until the ensuing legislature
limited this emolument to $40 pei month
For awhls some of the councilmen ex-
ceeded this limit, and pAFt OF them had
TO pay the excess back, although e few
among them, t. aRepublican, am sorry to