Delaware gazette and state journal. (Wilmington, Del.) 1883-1902, 1895-10-31
THE PURCHASE OF VOTES
Now Being Carried On by the Local
Republican Committee.
TAX MONEY THE PURCHASE PRICE.
But the Receipt Always Taken
by the Committee.
HOW THE SHREWD SCHEME is WORKED

The Voter First Inveigled to tho Commits
tee Headquarters, and Then sent to the
Tax Onice-Bero He Pays Ills Tax, and IL
Then Taken Back TO Head uarters, Where
He surronders the Receipt for Safe
keeping.
The Republican First district COM
mittee commenced Monday to pay the
taxes of prospective voters-that is,
such persons as will allow themselves
to be whipped around and bought for
the price OF tax receipt by the Re-
publican bosses. The committee is
holding forth at the Republican head
quarters and the heelers are out in the
wards hard at work rounding up"
the victims.
Circulars have been printed and
placed in the hands of Representatives
frIfn each ward, who in turn circulate
ITEM among the rank and file. These
yotices are the initiatory step, whereby
Che ordinary human beings are notified
that il they will sell themselves they can
| find purchaser. The information is
given that there is ample money to pay
' the taxes.
( After tho ward residents have been
seasoned in this method the heelers go
In person, and such as are willing are
stored to headquarters, whore they are
told what is required Of them. But
they don't get the money to pay the
taxes-.not by a large majority. AS
soon as man signifies his Willingness
to allow his tax to be paid, heller
pilots him to Tax Receiver Dickey's
Office, and when the door is reached
the money to pay for the receipt is put
in his hands. As soon as he pays the
tax-and tne heller makes sure that he
does, for he occupies position where
he can see the operation-he is grabbed
at the door by the heller, who ere
quests" him to return with him 1.-THE
heeler) TO headquarters that his re.
ceipt may be recorded. ~
OF course the ma .ority Of those who
sell themselves have no hesitancy in al
lowing the committee to look at the
receipt after they have been so kind as
TO pay the tax. The paper is handed
over at headquarters, and the man in
whose name. it is made out is informed
that it will be mailed to him. About
the only thing TO do is to leave the re-
ceipt in the hands of the committee
and let them do with it as they will
And there is little question about what
they will do with it. Several of the
parties who have been thus served
even 60 so far as to say that they never
expect TO see the receipt again until
the day Of registration.
A prominent Republican informed
Y reporter Of 1.-THE Gazette" Tuesday
morning that, delegation of honest
Republicans investigated the method
Of shearing the sheep Monday, and
when they learned the true facts they
refused to have anything to do with
the matter.
A mysterious Baltmorean was in
the city on Sunday in conference with
a prominent Republican boss, and the
two men had a great deal of private
business. 1t is known that this man is
working in the interests of the Repub-
licans in the Monumental City, and it
is even said that he perfected arrange
ments for the attendance of a large
number of Republican repeaters from
this city ut the Baltimore election. In
connection with this affair local Re-
publican, who is backed by the bosses,
recently spent several days in Baltimore
and the presumption is that while there
he worked up the plan for handling
the Delaware repeaters. A Republican
informed the reporter on Tuesday that
he is positive that arrangements have
been made to send delegation of Re-
publicans from this city to Baltimore
for crooked work at the election next
Tue day.