The Wilmington daily Republican. (Wilmington, Del.) 1890-1902, 1891-01-26
MONDAY. JANUARY go, 1901.
TIE SCAR. Of New Castle county.


Tl.e SCAR" OF New Castle County.
II the Five County commissioner bill {
Of published In copies and distributed !
among the people is enacted into law,
either now or at any other time, with
out change, it will be the most com
nlete act Of tyranny that ever OPP
pressed the taxpayers of New Castle
county. The bill makes no change
whatever in the mode of assessments
which OF itself is but an engine OF dis
finnchisement especially of Repub-
+ iiean voters. The assessment laws of
4 1878 are among the most obieetiona-
Bile parts of the election machinery,
and they are allowed still TO remain
and disgrace our statute books.
But let us look at the power pro-
posed to be conferred by the new law
upon what is called the County Comp
moller, more properly named the
st|zars of New Castle county. Why, |
his power to disfranchise whom he
Will Is greater by far than anything
ever yet assumed by any Wilmington |
tax collector. The County Commits |
sioners are expected during the month |
Of March to do that which was the duty
\ oil the Levy Court-complete the as
easements. When this is done, then
comes in the fine work of the Comp
troller. The proposed new law re-
lleses the tax collectors of the duty of
making out and filling up their tax
bills. This work is reserved for the
County Comptroller, the modern
.Czar."
Here is the language of the bill,
tsIhe Comptroller shall, from such
completed assessment make out and
certify all tax bills upon uniform
system.n This is far-reaching self
tenee. The Collectors are hereafter to
have no tax duplicates. That term is
books" take their places. There are
two of them, one TO be called Original
and the other duplicate The bill
books contain only the bills of those
whom the Comptroller places therein
Yes but Is the Comptroller not com
ACAlGR W DAJ III ttit t'lll bbbh5' billS
for the taxes OF all those who are as
sessed, asks somebody? No. he is not
There is one word in the quotation be-
hind which he can take sure refuge,
and that one word is verify" His ex-
PLANTATION Of that word would be, that
he must know every person assessed
before he puts his bill for taxes in the
"bill book Can anybody conceive
how such partisans as Patrick Neary,
Billy Lee, and Levy Courtman Wier
work the veritication racket?
Here is another cunningly devised
arrangement to keep persons getting
4 assessed from voting at the Mayors
election on the first saturday in June.
Heretofore the duplicates Of taxes have
been issued to the Collectors few
days before the Mayors election, so
that newly assessed persons would
have a chance to pay their taxes and
vote for Mayor. No such an oppor.
tunity is offered in the new law. The
Comptroller is given until the first OF
July, about month after the Mayors
election to get his tax bill books
ready
Here is another innovation upon thu
81 rights of voters Under the Old law
collectors We're required to return
& their delinquent lists To the LevyCoulI
Il on the first of March The propose[
new law requires them to be returned
to the Comptroller on the third Mon
day Of March, thus leaving but abata
one week in which persons returned a.
delinquents year before can get as
sessed before The Commissioners
A discrimination is made against tn
poll taxpayer by allowing a rebate 81
the payment of property taxes by cet
tain dates but no rebates are Above,
Tor poll taxpayers. Taking the bill al
through so far as it relates to TIL
qualification Of poll taxpayers ii is n
better than the old law indeed we an
not sure that it is not much worst
What is gained by thecolleetors sittfn
an hour each night is more than negt
tiyed by the arbitrary power eonferre
n upon the Comptroller in verifying PEI
sons for whom he makes out the Ia
bills.
And 1t Is proposed to rush this in
portant bill, that changes the govern
ment Of the largest county OF the Stati
through tomorrow, that 1t may h
come a law and go into operation nel
Thursday before the people have la
time to read, investigate and unde
stand the law The Legislature hf