Delaware gazette and state journal. (Wilmington, Del.) 1883-1902, 1891-11-26

/ uP puolc INTEREST IN aHalrS political dur.
lng an on yea, that is, year when nc
election is heli-but there was no trouble
~ getting large audience in the hall oil
the Weccacoe engine house, Friday night, tic
hear Hon. Thomas +. Bayard discuss The
new election law. There was no brass band
and no flaming posters; only the simple
announcement that the meeting would bt
held and that Mr.. Bayard would SPEAK
But when the speaker was introduced, he
faced an audience that filled the room, and
was listened to throughout with deep ut
tention that thoroughly expressed the in.
tcrest they felt in the subject that was pre-
eented to them in such masterful manner
lhe meeting was Il success in every par.
ticular. The subject was not an especially
entertaining one of itself, but the manner
| IN which 1t was presented BY Mr.. Bayartl
stripped IT of all its dry details and h sld il
| up in the light of one of the gravcst and
most responsible duties of citizenship, one
which no man Of intelligence, who has an
| Interest in the government he supports by
| the payment of his taxes, could fail TO
thoroughly comprchend.s
Mr.. Bayard's address was moi only an
| Intelligent Interpretation Of the new law,
but convincing presentation of all the
benefits that each individual voter as well
as the community, will derive from well
regulated election law and a system of
secret ballot lie spoke extemporaneously
but in an extremely interesting vein, and
WAS listened 70 throughout with the closest
attention. When he concluded, shortly
after O'Clock, the audience was still in Il
humor for further speaking, and called
Tor Branch IL. Giles, Esq, who briefly re-
While composed mainly of Tenth ward
citizens, there were Democrats present
from all parts of the city and n few Re
publicans also attended. The affair was
an informal gathering of Democrats, ia
hear the new law discussed and explained,
particularly with reference to the duty of
the Democratic party in the enforcement
oil It's admirable provisions.
Councilman James Murray called the
meeting to order, and in few pleasant
words introduced Mr.. Bayard, who, he
said, would instruct the meeting how to
vote under the new regulations at the next
election.
Mr.. Bayard said he came to have an in
formal conversation in relation to our
political duties. Fortunately there is no
election, pending, but we are nevertheless
engaged in business which is scarcely
second to any for AN American citizen.
May I cay a word to YOU in relation to
what makes the difference between
political parties in this countryp The diff
FERENCE seems to me to be this: Between
party thatis organized to carry Oh this
government for the benefit of the whole
people, iii which no advantage shall be
given to any one; that is, that no ad-
vantage shall be given to one class of
people, under the laws that are passed for
the benefit of all. 1t remains to be seen
whether the people will rise TO the true
nobility of American citizenship.
The principle of the Democratic party,
Mr.. Ravard held, is that taxation should
be for public purposes only. The Repub
lican party advocates the right to use the
power of public taxation for the benefit of
certain interests. 1t is natural, therefore,
To ilnd men of wealth belonging to the
party that helped to make them rich. The
Democratic party says that the true policy
is TO leave in the pockets of the hard-work-
ing man the money lie has earned, and not
take it from him for the benefit Of Others
He hoped the Democratic party would
never be guilty of taking from one class of
men Tor the benefit of another. The Dem
ocratic party believes in spending the
money taken from the people for the
benefit Of all the people.
Our whole government said Mr.. Bayard
Is carried on by system of elections.
Election means choice. LII our State, rs in
other and larger ones, the heat of politics
ana the desire for power and to control the
selection OF representatives in Congress
has caused q tendency to disregard the
Ni'h'' 'A P1OEtCs ms illuktS IL ltttS-
snry for every man who wishes to preserve
the principles of government to take an
interest in politics. AT the last election in
this city, us we all know there was an
enormous amount of corruption. men
were intimidated and votes were east that
had no right to be counted, and the public
choice was perverted, Tie result was that
the Legislature. considering these dllicul-
tics, made three changes i'll the existing
laws. They first changed our system Of
county government, in response to a
demand for lessening the number Of neni-
bers ol the Levy Court, to reduce expenses
and bring that body to position of
greater responsibility. Taxes We're not
collected promptly and in some in
stances were not, when collected,
paid into the county treasury. The
collectors were issuing tax receipts i'm
properly, or granting them by wholesale
to persons who bought them for the sole
purpose OF corrupting elections. The
Legislature might have abolished the Levy
Court at once, but preferred to keep it in
existence for awhile. IN obedience TO what
seemed like. request of the people, al-
though radical change was made in the
system OF tax payments. There is no
change in the payment Of poll tax as a
prerequisite to voting, as that Is n constitu-
tional provision, and to-day, us for the
past go years. man in order to vote must
have paid u county tax within two wears
that was assessed at least Dix months prior
to the election. The taxes can be paid TO
the receiver voluntarily. and what are
not so paid he is required to collect. The
county finances, under the now law. will
be more carefully looked after than be-
fore. and the people will be the gamers.
The registration of voters, the second
change effected, Mr.. Bayarl saId, is SOME
thing entirely new The law is long one,
but he had read it carefully, and was OF
the opinion that people would not find II
difficult to comprehend its provisions lie
proposed to speak only OF its chief pro-
visions. He urged those present to take
extra care to qualify themselves and their
neiglibors, and to see that those not quail
fled for suffrage are prevented from voting
and thereby overriding the votcs OF honest
men.
The registration law does not add TO or
take from the voting requirements of the
constitution. The upshot Of the law is
this: 1t gives the honest industrious citi-
zen better chance to cast his vote quietly,
pcaceably and intelligentlv than any law
we have had YET. II provides for four days
of rcgistration-three Saturdays and one
Friday-wth registration officers sitting
in each precinct from IL o'clock q. IN. to I
o clock p. m, during which hours voters
may present themselves for registration.
Tho applicant is first sworn, and questions
as 70 his age, residence, color, nativity and
registration, and the answers are to be
recorded in the presence of the applicant
He can thus sec for himself that his an
swers are correctly written down. Each
applicant must take his tax receipt, other
wise he will be registered not as qualified
but that he may bequaliiicd when he pays
his tux Each citizen lntlst aDnlv in r1erann