Evening journal., 1896-08-05
AhomInnbla BuaInenn.


For several weeks the town OF Dover
has been dlsg racing Itself by persecution
of the Single'rax speakers who went there
TO expound their peculiar political views.
Now 1t seems that the same malignant
and interruptions Influences which have
been melting the town authorities TO
such reprehensible action have secured
the ear Of the Kent County Levy Court.
That Democratic body disgrsced itself
yesterday by adopting the following res
olution:
"Resolved, That William NJ. Dickson,
clerk OF the petoe In and for Kent
county, be, and Is hereby authorized
aud directed to advertise in two news
papers for proposals for the services for
the trAmps and Single Takers who persist
In violating the laws Of this State That
he be also directed 10 receive and award
TO the highest and best bidder for the
services Of these law breakers to work
on the street or roads Of the county, said
bids to be under seal and security for
the money to be inclosed with the bid
All bids for the services of these men to
be In the hands OF said clerk of the peace
on or before 10 o'clock on Tuesday the
11th day OF August, 1896
No public body In Delaware ever
stopped to a smaller and meaner peice Of
of work than that performed by the
4Levy Court when 1t adopted the above
resolution.
We are not In sympathy with the
Views entertained aud promulgated
by the Single Tax people. We have
never given utterancs to q word which
could be construed as supporting their
theory Of taxation. Still, when men are
Imprisoned by the wholesale for exer
claing the right of free speech In an en-
lIghtened community 1t bshooves every
lover Of civil. religious and political
rights to speak out boldly in condem
nation Of the Dover authorities
To begin with, the Single Tex speakers
are neither beats nor vagrants. They pay
as they 60 and we have yet to learn Of an
instance where an accusation Of vRgrancy
or rascality has been made or sustained
against them. They are not dIsorderly
Their meetings are characterised With ali
the decorum that could reasonably be OK
pected of out-of.door asssmblages They
are earnest advocates of q theory which
they wish to put in practice in Delaware
That ls their sole offenss The excuse Of
the Dover authorities that they bloch
up the streets and hinder business Is 8,
hlmsy that IL is not worthy Of considers
tion. There Is not such . congestion o.
traffic 10 Dover or any other Peninsula
town which could possibly be interfereS
with by one or two Single Tax meetings
IL Wilmington. where as much business
Is done In an hour as Is doue In Dover II
Amonth, the Single Tax orators hole
meetings night after night without In
terferlng with others or ling Interfere,
with This being true. the action Of tn
Dover authorities Is malevolent aud dis
graceful.
As for the Kent county Levy Court, |
has oversteppsd the bounds Of common
decenoy The Delaware courts will nevs
permit 1t to carry out the outrAgeou
proposition embodied In the resolution
printed above
Chancellor Nicholson, Governor Wat
son, or some other duly constituted au
thority should step In, throw open tn
doors Of the Kent county jail and te
the Imprisoned Single Takers to wal
out and engage in free speech in an
part Of the State
We ara not in favor OF Single Tax
but We have always stood for fair PLAY
and when we see the town authorities 9
Dover. the financial body OF Kent county
and the Single Tex advocates bein
made the victims Of few unscrupulou
men who are foolish enough to believ
that thsy are making political hit. "
cannot refrain from condemning II
whole thing as an sbominable piece
business which casts discredlt on Il
town and county. and makes frisn,
for the Single Takers