Middletown transcript., 1896-01-25
TRUTH AND TAXES.

this State rule and rob the people the
more We learn of its iniquity. In the
arst place it is a machine for disfran-
the people, a sufficient number
of them, who are not in political ac-
cord with the rulers; and 10 the second
place it is used to cheat the people and
the State. These are harsh words but
they are truthful words, and some day
the people will arise to their impor-
tance.
But recently we were reliably ir-
formed of tax collector who after he
had received the taxes of a certain
number Of men collectively, went to
them individually and demanded the
payment second time. This money
went down into his pockets. And again
we are told how the footings OF the tax
duplicates are chan ed, SO that the IL
dividual amounts Of the taxes aggre-
gate hundreds and even thousands OF
dollars more than the total footings.
This is supposed to be a tax on the
people for party purposes. Is it true9
Many of the best informed of our .citi-
zens believe that it is true. 1t is pos
sible.., The system is capable of just
such manipulation and the people have
no remedy. We do not write this as
Republican but as a citizen and tax
payer. 1t should interest every citizen
independent Of politics,
In our issue of Jan. 4th we referred
to this matter in the following words:
s.But it is bribery to pay taxes of
party followers!" And it is robbery to
deprive men of their votes by means of
party machinery, and robbery is worse
than bribery. When "Zeke Coop r"
took Tax Collector Powell to Philadel-
phia and hid,him in hotel that a pro-
fessor in the Conference Academy and
other Republicans might be deprived
of their votes, to prevent their paying
a tax to the county, he was guilty OF
a crime, if not legal crime, a moral
crime, for the equal of which better
citizens have suffered years OF impris-
onment. He hopes to be nominated
for Congress for such party service.
His is but one instance of hundreds.
We have no grievance against Mr..
Cooper but our assertions are true and
the truth needs to be told. The Re
publicans have asked for fair assess
ment and c Election laws, and have,
proposed them in the General Assembly.
In 1889 and again last winter, only 10
have them defeated by the Democrats.
In fact when the Republicans came in
to power in Sussex and shared the
power in Kent, the Democratic Legis-
lature of 1891 repealed the odious as
sessment laws that they might not be
used against them, and In 1898, having
come into power, they re-snacted them.
In New Castle county, having lost the
Levy Court, they abolished it and so
districted the county that though the
have majority of over
the machinery rests with the
Democrats. No fair minded man, it
matters not what his politics, can JUS
tify such actions. No paper in the
State can justify it; no paper will at
tempt it,"
The Dover Inde1 with many hard
and harsh words claimed that the story
to Mr.. Powell had "been ex-
ploded long ago." We gave Mr.. Coop
er the benefit of the denial, promising
10 look into the matter. We could not
find man in Dover who knew of the
'sexploded story'' but we did find a
man who was witness to that scene
and We could have found hundreds
whose indignation was aroused at the
outrageous treatment of the fourteen
citizens of East Dover hundred who
we're deprived of their votes. 1t was
deliberate plot to rob men of the right
If franchise. What are the facts?
The collector was sick, had to under
90 some kind of a surgical operation,
but not so sick that he could not see
all his political friends and furnish tax
receipts to such as wanted them. He
went to Philadelphia and was at the
hotel, guarded by his politi-
,al friends. His surgeon was waited
o1 and asked if it would be injurious
to his patient to transact business with
a few taxables. He assured his callers
that Mr.. Powell was perfectly we'll
enough to give tax receipts. Effort
was made to see Mr.. Powell but he was
30 closely guarded by his party friends
that it was not possible. Through the
clerk Of the hotel arrangement was
made to have certain of the taxables
near Mr.. Powell'S door when it was
opened in response TO knock from the
Those men then and
there rendered their taxes TO Mr.. Pow
I'll who was reclining upon the bed,
dressed with the exception of his coat.
lie got up and kicked the money out
into the hall. He remained in l'hila-
lelphia for some time, came down to
to make return of his tax
uplicate, refused to give tax receipts
20 those fourteen men, deprived them
of their votes and the county of tle
funds to which it was rightly entitled.
Among the party seeking to pay taxes |
were Capt. Bonsalef for his two. sons,
Prof. Cross of the Conference Acad- |
my. Emery MarYil, Jr., and John
Nindorf. Who can justify such ac-
ion?
Col. Cooper claimed that he did pot
ccompanv Mr.. Powell to Philadel-
'hia, But lie was there as one Of his
dvisers. He left in response to an
Urgent telegram from friend (?)
making date upon important business
n Dover. Col. Cooper talked about
uing the sender of that telegram only
We presume the failure to identify the
'arty prevented. Evidently he thOupht