Middletown transcript., 1891-03-12
HARD ON DEMOCRATS.
TWENTY-FIVE HUNDRED SUsSE EX
DEMOCRATS RETURNED AS
ERRORS.

About twenty-five hundred Demo
Gratis have been returned as errors ~
the Collectors in Sussex county. II
is claimed that most of these men
would have paid their tax had tney
been requested SO to do. IL mas
been the custom of many OF tnese
men to wait till the Collector caaeu
upon them, never themselves making
any effort to see to the paying Oh
their dues to the county or paying
any attention to notices or tax-piils'
In an interview with some OF tne
best men in Sussex county, rep
resentative of THE TRANSCRIPT
made some rather interesting ols-
coveries. It seems that the present.
Collectors who were appointed Dy
the Republican Levy Court OF M
vestigation fame have been under
the direction of Mr.. J. Frank Bacon
the Attorney for the Levy Court
and their failure to collect is at-
tributed to him. However that
may be the county will lose great
amount of money which could nave
been easily collected. What makes
the matter worse is the fact that u
has invariably been the custom Oh
the Democratic Collectors to give
every Republican q chance to pay
his tax even after they were READY
to make their return. On several oc-
casions as many as 800 negroes have
failed to pay their taxes, when their
white leaders have been informed
and given a chance to pay for them.
This has been the Democratic rule
for years and by it many thousands
of dollars have been saved to the
county. When the present state OF
affairs was discovered the Demo
Gratis approached the Republicans
with the plea that one good turn
deserves another, but they were
promptly informed that " we are not
doing business in that way"
There is now a great deal OF talk
about this state of affairs and It
seems necessary that something
should be done to stop it. The Legis-
lature has been asked to enact a law
which would prevent any further
trouble, but some of the members OF
the Senate seem to be afraid that
there may be Niger in the WOOD
pile = somewhere and are loath 20
enter upon any method of reform
which has not received the subdulng
touch of age and trial. 1t seems
strange to the younger men that the
old men in the Senate should be so
much afraid to advance upon the
lines so plainly laid down by the
Convention which nominated them.
There has been much speculation as
to the final outcome Of the tumult
which must be raging in the mind OF
Senator Williams.
He has been quoted as saying that
he is willing that the Five Commis-
sioner Bill for New Castle county
should pass, but SO far he has not
signified his intention of voting for
it, consequently it still clings to life
with faint hope of being re-invigor-
ated. The question whether Senator
Williams should or should not stand
out against the will Of probably four
fifths of his party is pertinent one
he was elected to represent the whole
people and while he is trying to dc
it as best he can there can be nc
doubt that he is opposing the wishes
of the majority both in regard to the
New Castle and the Sussex bills. The
action of the Sussex levy court shows
to what lengths party prejudice will
lead men and the danger OF a repeti
tion of such acts should be rendered
impossible by promptly enactine
such laws as were asked for by ths
people during the last campaign
We donot need any unjust laws bu
no man can afford to stand in th'
way Of needed reforms.