The morning times. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1895-1897, 1896-09-09

Mr. A. II. Stephenson OF Philadelphia,
and Mr.. Harold Sudell OF New Castle, Del,
two of the recently incarcerated single
takers in the Dover, DEL, Jail, were In
the city yesterday in the interests OF the
single tax campaign now being waged in
that little State.
Mr.. stephenson was the first gentleman
imprisoned. His case was recently tested
by habeas~Corpus proceedings before the
United states court at Wilmington, and
virtually. resulted in a victory for the
single takers, although he was returned
TO prison. In discussing the situation in
Della ware, he said 10 Il Times reporter:
There were twenty of us in the jail.
The prison is built to hold forty prisoners,
but at tie time OF our Incarceration the re-
were. eighty prisoners confined within 1t.
The conditions were deplorable, not TO
say inhuman.- In one cell l. saw fourteen
men confined, the space between the four
waits being not more than eight by ten
feet.
LIKE OTHER PRISONERS.
Fortunately for us, we were allowed
the run of the corridors, and cots were
placed along the sides for our beds. The
diet given us was some what better than
that given the other prisoners; SO, on the
whole. can say that. the sheriff and
those under him, treated us the best they
conld under the circumstances.
All TIE Single t.iNerS are now OUT VI
jail. either having served out the term OF
Imprisonment or released on scire facias
proceedings No more arrests have been
made, rs The authorities have become tired
trying TO break up our meetings, which
are held regularly every week on The street
corners. Then. too, the expense OF main
tanning us while in the Jail was 4 heavy
drain upon the treasury of the town. Our
cases Will be disposed Of in October when
they Will be brought before the superior
court OF the State.
We have not, ceased our campaign eff
forts. Despite the authorities, the work
and The meetings go ca Just the same, and
the result has been that we have fully
one-third OF the voters Of the State with
US, there being about 40 900 votes cast,
giving To us the balance of power. The
effect of. this is evident.
BOTH PARTIES AFTER THEM.
Neither Of the Old parties can hope to
carry the State next November without
our aid. 1t is absolutely requisite to the
success of either party. Even Mr.. John
salisbury, the prominent Democratic pol
niciin, who was so anxious that 1 he levy
Court should issue notices calling for bids
on our labor in the chain gang and which
was actually done at his instigation, al .
though the law was null and void is now
catering for our support, extending golden
promises of wha: the Democratic party will
do for the single tax cause il we help to
put it in power.
THE Republican leaders, too, are max
ing rusy-hued promises. We have given
our allegiance to neither of the parties,
and viii not DO so until we can get some
thing more definite than promises that our
aims viii be furthercd by the party We
assist"
rs your visit here relative to the pO-
hrical situatioD?'' asked the reporter
Il would rather not discuss that point
was the reply, but probably you can infer
for yourself If ! say that we have been
in consultation with the heads OF the various
campaign quarters this afternoon.
WHERE ITS STRENGTH LIES.
"onr main strength is among the labor
ing and farming classes. 1t is among them
that we work. Two of the siDgle-taxerswill
go TO town which has been Well billed
some time before, announcing the time
of the meeting, and tie crowd which greets
them is always sure 10 be large one.
The farmers come from miles around. We
have no Syrnpatl,izers among the landlords
and those dependent upon them, such as
the merchants of the towns Relative to
this fact it is bot iDfrcquent that many an
employe is discharged by his antagonistic
einploycr If he is seen wearing a single
tax button.
But this discrimination against them
ana our imprisonment has done more for
the good OF the cause than five years Of
campaign speaking and literature.
The Campaign is being carried on by
about twenty persons, mostly residents ot
Delaware. One OF them, Mr. Fred Moore,
Is from this city. Contributions come from
all over the United States"
Why has Delaware been selected as the
dcbatablc ground" was asked.
Because" replied Mr.. Stephenson, '.its
constitution has no clause in it prohibit
ing the csta bIshment OF a single tax sys-
TEN. The national campaign committee
recognized this as being the most vulner-
able, point and directed the attack to be
made, with what success is highly evident
What we want'to do is to esta blish the
system there and give it thorough trial.
confident in the belief that it will prove
great blessing to the mass OF the people,
II not hampered and interfcred with by
its antagonists. Then. we will have more
than theory with which to confront the
people in the other sections OF the countr