Delaware gazette and state journal. (Wilmington, Del.) 1883-1902, 1892-02-18

feceued from their agreement OF month |
ago, to meet with the Democratic as
SCISSORS and "do the square thing" by
each other, Captain Mitchell said "The
reason for declining was that II was
tfter the time fixed by law for the as
Iessors to add names to their lists" &c.
It was on Tuesday, January 18th,
that Captain Mitchell notified the Dem
ocrats that his agreement to join with
them in completing the lists satisfac-
torily to both parties was off, This was
just one month ago to-day. OF course
1t is plain that Captain Mitchell did not
speak for himself alone. He spoke as
the authorized mouthpiece of the Re-
publican ma Inagers.
Captain Alitchells dictum therefore
was the dic9um Of his party. We are
frank to say THAT the law bears out that
dic;um (ReFised Code, oh. X, sec. 16)
and that tine Democratic proposition
and the previous Republican acquies-
cence therein were not warranted by
the letter Of the law. Had that arrange
,ment for completing the lists satisfac-
'torily to all parties been carried out it is
to be assumed that it would have been
done strictly on the quiet and with the
CONCURRENCE of all parties thereto to
whive cognizance of the fact that the
fitst of JANUARY had gone by.
But the Republican managers, in set
ting up Through Captain Mitchell the
Reason above quoted for withdrawing
from theif previous agreement to thus
complete the lists, have placed them
Selves before the public in the attitude
pf sticklers for the strict construction of
the law which forbids assessors to add
names TO their lists after January LIST
except during the appeal days between
the posting of their lists and their return
TO the Levy Court on the first Tuesday
: of February. Outside of the city Of
Whining ton there is only one appeal
day--thE last Saturday of January On
that day it is provided that the assessor
shall sit from 10 a. m, till p. m, sat
the place of holding the general cleo
ton, or where hundred is divided into
central place in the hundred-to correct
any errors therein or for the purpose Of
assessing persons omitted Then and
there, and at no other time or place,
I, after January list, according to the strict
construction of the law contended for
by the Republican managers, could a
rural assessor add any names to his list.
10y act of the last Legislature New
bn, hundred was divided into two
i'm districts. This gave Assessor
81 the legal opportunity to sit "at
|edcentral place. He selected Hare's
L IA crossroads geographically
20 al but inaccessible from any railway
can except by long tramp. Thither
err. on the day fixed by law, the last
Fercday of January, about 300 Demo.
'cn' from the town of New Castle,
n ly workingmen who had lost a
~ wages and tramped through two
Ats of mud for the purpose of getting
ittosed. They found Assessor Hance
parpulously deliberate and methodical.
FOX him six hours-he rested from
On lrduous labors during the noon hour
9he add As names to his list. The other
irav had to tramp back to New Castle,
pna ugh the mud and gathering dark
be,.s unassessed.
resi-. ct this very scrupulous assessor who
calpld only put on 40 names publicly in
Itayhole day at Hare's Corner, did not
1hlsume more than few seconds in
"altting on two names surreptitiously III
= Levy Court room Thursday. Had
dIeyisessor Hance worked on the last
iurturday in January with the forty
Br,rse-p power steam-engine speed he dis.
sa,,ayed Thursday, he could have waited
WI all those 300 New Castle applicants
N ample time for dinner
But how inconsidcrate on the part Of
w-ssessor Ilance was tins action Of Thurs.
gay He knew the solcitude If the
htepublican party managers regarding
t.he assessment lists. He knew, it i,
tnatter Of general notorlety, that they
NAVE been doing all in their power "a
persuade their Levy Court 10 strike
names from the lists. He knew that, in
their judgment, there are several thou
sand names, more or less, on these lists
that the leaders Of his party have been
iexerting themselves with ceaseless zeal
for days and weeks TO discover some
Illegal pretext for getting rid Of, Iii,
deed we fear some Of them have been
losing sleep over this. And yet he comes
forward, n full month after the prouDI