Delaware gazette and state journal. (Wilmington, Del.) 1883-1902, 1895-07-25
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INSTRUMENTATION Cl tnis atcFcqulfes
that citizen In order 10 enjoy the right
OF an elcctor must pay county tax
sometime within two years next before
the election The idea underneath that
requirement is sound and good, It is
that the men who have the substance
and the manhood to pay their allotted
share towares the expenses Of govern
ment are the men whose opinions
should be taken at the polls. By paying
his tax, the citizen demonstrates in a
measure his independent standing in
the State.
Strangely enough, this requirement Of
the Constitution has been the source of
a great deal of corruption in politics.
This provision to secure independent
citizens for electors, has in practice made
political slaves of thousands Of voters.
The deplorable result has come be-
cause political parties have grown into
the habit Of paying county taxes for in
different and corrupt men. That OF its
self ie a sort Of bride, and in addition
the party which pays the tax keeps the
receipt in its possession so as to force
the voter to vote in favor of that party,
il he vote at all.
Four out of every five colored voters
in Delaware have their taxes thus paid
by the Republican party, and the party
managers keep the tax receipts and
thereby rule the colored vote with rod
OF iron. Doubtless there are thousands
OF such tax receipts locked up in the
safe at headquarters to-day.
The Afro. american Citizen, paper
which has recently been started in this
city to voice the desires of the colored
people of Delaware, touches sound
principle in this matter in the following
editorials:
The tax receiver is now sitting to collect
the taxes OF olir citizens. We would urge
upon every Afro American citizen the i'm
portance of paying his own taxes. This is
country in which every man is born
King He is born king and as such should
not sell his birthright for mess Of pot.
iage.n
When you allow another man to pay
your taxes you are his slave. Your will i
no longer forced to act II! accordance with
the dictates OF your conscience, but YOU
are ut the mercy of Inscriptions poll
tlclans, who use YOU as mere tools 10
advance their own interests. and like the
mechanic with his tools he lays you aside
until he gets another job.
The Afro-American citlsens will play q
very important part In next wears cam
paign IN this State. and. therefore il be.
moves them to begin in time to arm for the
light.
This Is good advice to colored voters.
If they wish to measure up to what the
Constitution of the State expects oil
every elector, they must pay their own
county taxes and own their own vote.
Ii party managers really wish to favor
any man by paying his taxes, why not
test the sincerity of the offer by giving
them a chance to pay city and school
taxes, while the voter pays his own
county tax and keeps the county tax
receipt Party managers would never
in the world do that, for the only pur
pose they have in paying any tax is to
get control of the Taxpayers voting
papers.
If colored voters propose to be any.
thing on election day beyond what the
poet calls dumb, driven CATTLE" they
must act on the A fro american Citisen's
advice and pay their own county taxes
This advice is just as good for white
people as it is for colored people, for il
is every mans duty as well as his priyi-
lege to pay his own tax and be an indie
penden. citizen of the State. But while
the same principle applies to all, there is
special and crying need for its aprlica.
ton by colored voters, and we hope
that the .dtgo.Amertcan Citizen may b
able to reach and influence them in the
matter.