The Wilmington daily Republican., 1891-12-01
TUESDAY, pMcEMlil.R /, 1881.
Receiver Dic.ey's Methods.

conpelleu 10 I.ln0 ISSUE win ketelNer
OF Taxes, John L. Dickey in regard to
his manner OF collecting poll taxes
from Republican poll tax payers. We
would much rather commend Mr.
D,ckey than condemn him II lie would
perllit us to do 50 indeed ever since he
commenced collecting taxes we re-
Trained from criticising his methods,
oft we heard complaint, preferrlng to
be charitable enough to look upon his
errors as unintentional We think
Mr.. Dickey will agree with us this
far. We desire Mr. DicEey to under
sand also TINT tho REPUBLICAN has
naught to say against him as public
spirited and good citizen OF which any
city may be proud. II is only against
Mr. Dickey as a politician and against
his methods as Receiver OF Taxes for
New Castle county that we take excep-
tion and the time has now fully come
whom his methods as a politician should
be exposed for the good of the com
munity. There are several reasons
why this should be done.
One is because 1t interrupts the
course of justice. Another is, that it
robs the county out OF taXo5 that
should be collected and which he tax
payers, those who are compelled to
pay, have to make up. Another rea.
son is hatitdisfiauchisas Republicans.
A fourth weighty reason IS that his
plan lnjects into tho body polite Il
spirit of dishonesty that makes people
law-bi ieaSers. Nobody will have any
respect for a law administered a. Mr..
Dicliey proposes in his own extreme
pnrtisan manner Any one OF these
reasons units Mr. Dicl5ey for the office
which he holds, all OF them elninently
units him.
We called on Mr.. Dickey yesterday
TO inform hlm of what we had been
told of his methods and to ask what he
had to say about them. One OF the
cases was this as told to us; A Young
man named Brooks. with two colored
men from Peucader Hundred, called
into Mr.. Diekcy's store to pay thoir
taxes. Two paid, but one, colored
man, gave his name as Richard Rider
when his name wars on the duplicate
as Richard j. Rider He was Informed
that his rnme was not on the dupll-
cafe. Mr., Brooks interceded and said
that Richard J. Rider WIS his name,
but he seldom used tho middle letter.
Mr.. Dickey ls said TO have said III he
don't know his name he had better go,
he don't deserve tax receipt MI
Dickey's version OF it is, that Nj.
Brooks stood by and put words into
tile ''niggsr's' mouth, and with little
profanity said he would allow no poll
tician to stand by and prompt the
''niggers' what to say, and 81 had To
order Brooks out to let others come
forward and pay." OF course Rider
didn't get his taxes paid When we
told Mr.. Dickey that as there was no
other person Of that mama in Pencadcr
Hundred and that he should have az
cepted the tax and given Rider re.
caipt he sud; "tths comes back IN
give him receipt for the name l have
on the book but FL mark his name
for challenge when he goes to vote"
Another instance is this: Bns even
Ing last week two colored mo- az the
Ninth ward wont into hIr. lurkev's
store to pay taxes Theii names were
John Thomas AMI Perry Hutchinson.
They were inform I'd that Mr.. Dirkay
kept lis books in tho second ato.y Of
his store, and they would have to 20
back to the rear ascend right OF
stairs aud then 70 nearly to the front
OF the second story TO get to Mr. Dick
ey, Faey went back to the roar and
We're about 10 ascend the staircase
when they we're stopped by somebody
thoy didn't know who, and were asked
where they were going They sai
they were gong np stairs 10 pay their
taxes. Your names are not on tie
books said some one. and vou
need not go Ruy fRrthcr. Insisting
that they wera assessed thy were
given to know they had better get
out ami of course the men loft
Mr. Dlclsey's version of 1t Is, that he
was In the rear Of the first story when
the men came in and he stopped them
from going up s.air5; he then sen t
two men upstairs to look for the
names and they came back with tile
word that the names were not on the
books.
Accepting Mr. Dckey's explanations
IN both Instances, he cannot Justify Ills
actions. In the first instance Rider
was properly assessed bat he. ike
hundreds Of other mon, never thought
about the middle letter. Mr.. Diekov.
anxious Tor tti3ling excuse To dis.
franchise the man gave no onportu.
nifty ior explanation. but inaalted alr.
Brooks a very worthy young man
and ordered the party to leave. Is Mr..
Diokey as particular Wien Democrat :
come to pay their taxes? II he intends
to iugsle Oh middle Initials, he will
lind plenty Of L to dU in Democratic
names MoCloskcy. the peerinss ma.
nlpalator, now clerk Of tie new l.ia,-
tion Department. car give Mr. Diekey
lessons in this art 10 doubt he has
done so.
In The second instance any body can
See at glance that tie two colored
men were doomed when tIay, ,v,,,,= =,,,,,,