The Opelousas courier., 1895-10-12

A Novel educational
formed Missionaries Canvassing the
state in a Thorough Manner With
Speeches., Songs. and Music.
WILMINGTON, Dcl.-The single tax
campaign in Delaware is fairly under
way. At present the campaign is
merely educational, the political part
to come later. The object is to make
Delaware a single tax state, SO that
there may be a real illustration OF low
Henry Georges theory will work.
Delaware has only about $1,000
voters. New Castle county holds about
20, ooa of these and here the fight is be-
ing waged the hottest. The campaign
in Kent and Sussex, the population of
which is mainly farmers, was not COM
menced until last week. Of the $4,000
voters in New Castle county, over 1900
are in the city of Wilmington, and most
Of them are laboring men. The single
takers are working hard to convert
them. The absence Of restrictions in
the Delaware constitution regarding
the form of taxation is an advantage
that few states afford.
That they arc making progress is
shown by the fact that the attendance
at each meeting exceeds that of the
previous one, and by the steps taken
toward organizing single tax clubs in
various small towns. Whether the
ground gained car be kept remains to
be seen. The executive committee OF
the national committee of the single
tax league of the United States has
adopted resolutions commencing the
Delaware movement and promising
support, and appointed a committee
to take charge of the work. The COM
mittee is Harry Sudell, of New Castle,
Arthur Ii. Stephenson, a wool manu-
facturer of Philadelphia, and Jackson
H. Ralston, a Washington lawyer, OF
Hyattsville (Md.) fame. Permanent
headquarters have been established in
Wilmington. This week headquarters
for Sussex county were opened at
Lewes, and from now on work will be
pushed among the farmers OF that
county.
The methods employed by the cam
paigners are on the same lines as those
used by the Salvation and Coxey ar
lsjSSs AACy "Cdl O. uhl1ol W -
attention, and when they can not get
a crowd in any other way they set off
fireworks. They travel from town to
town delivering their speeches and
distributing literature.
The speakers, covered with dust
from a tramp along the roads, arrive
in a town in the morning. They i'm
mediately begin work. Around the
streets they go, distributing literature.
They seem to take peculiar delight in
getting into an argument, and when
they get the loungers interested they
invite them to come to the meeting
and learn more about their theory.
Every Friday and Saturday the
speakers may be seen leaving the Will
mington headquarters. They wear
sack suits of dark blue. flannel shirts
to match. white neckties and dark
brown canvas leggings reaching to the
kneeA On their heads they wear large
brown sombreros, while strapped to
their backs and filled with literature
are black leather knapsacks, on which
is painted in large white letters Single
Tax" Around each arm is a black
band on which in silver letters are the
words "Single Tax" The campaign
ers in the outfit present a unique and
picturesque appearance. From twenty
to twenty-five speakers are sent out
each week, and they always travel in
pairs.
Meetings are held every Saturday
night in ten or twelve towns in New
Castle county. besides two Or three at
various points in Wilmington. On
Friday nights meetings are held in diff
fereut towns in Kent and Sussex coun-
ties. On Sunday the speakers tramp
back to Wilmington, and in the after
noon a grand rally is held in one OF
the public parks, when the ethical side
Of the question is discussed.
The leaders of the movement say that
the campaign is not for the purpose OF
forming a third political party, and
that they will not affiliate with either
OF the old parties. The leaders idea is
to get enough Of the candidates for the
state Legislature. irrespective OF party
affiliations. to pledge themselves In
favor OF the single tex and then give
these tbeis sppposl