Middletown transcript., 1896-06-13
THE SINGLE TAX

i
| nance, asked for permit, as they SHOULD
have done at first, and "were permit
| ted to speak at the usual place for hold.
| ing public meetings." Mr.. Horan and
Mr.. Stephens, the gentlemen who in.
sisted on speaking in violation of the
authority and advertised their cause
by going to Jail instead Of paying theil
fines, are two of the ablest and bright.
est of the Single Tax advocates, b ul
their policy, as has been the p olicy
of all of them, was to force public at
tention. They violated law and
courted tn enforcement of it to gel
notoriety, to play the martyrs part to
get sympathy. This has been done in
Middletown as 1t has been done in Do
yer and we are glad the authorities at
the Capital have insisted upon the en-
forcement OF the law.
The TRANSCRIPT has always said
the Single Tax people should be treated
as gentlemen and that they should lie
given the same privileges as others, no
more and no less. To pelt them with
eggs and vegetables is discredit to
any community and such treatment is
not endorsed here or elsewhere though
some of their speakers have put them
selves on level with the bully in the
language they have used in their pub
lie harangues and consequently invite
the bully's argument in reply.
This is free country and the right
Of free speech is privilege that every
citizen should enjoy, and it is also one
tlat every citizen should not abuse.
The abuse of free speech, the tolerance
of socialism and anarchy under the
plea of free speech, cost the Haymarket
Riots in Chicago. the loss Of many in
nocert lives and the expenditure of
large sums of money. The Single
Takers are socialists Of a mild order;
we doubt whether any of them respect
the Sabbath Day or attend any church;
some of their speakers at least in their
TRADES in Middletown abuse the preach
ers and ridicnle the public schools. We
do not believe this is true Of all of
them but it is evident that they are
ready to accept the services of any one
without regard to ability or personal
character just so he endorses Single
Tax. There is danger in this liberty
and certainly it is abusing tae hospi-
tality Of any community to hold large
crowds together on Saturday nights
until Sunday morning as has been done
in Middletown. Let us put the Single
Tax organ on the stand. Justice Of last
week had the following in reference to
the meeting here on Saturday. May 30:
"The street meeting at Middletown
was held as usual last Saturday. The
audience was larger than upon the
previous occasions. The Single Tax
cause is rapidly gaining both adherents
and sympathy in that city of landed
aristocrats. With the exception of
threats Of arrest, the ill-mannered be-
havior Of some of the young "abloods"
and some boyish pranks, abbetted by
their benighted elders, the meeting
passed off peaceably. Mr.. Brennan
made some very instructive remarks
and was followed by Robert Mobirs
who spoke for over two hours and gave
an exhaustive and forcible exposition
of the Single Tax crusade against the
evils of modern civilization. The meet
ing commenced at 7.30 p. m. and was
continued till nearly midnight. Liter
ature was distributed, sc0rners rebuked,
inquirers encouraged, questions an
swered and many new converts made.
Here is boast that for over four
hours this ''Mobiuso who evidently
has not been long a citizen of this
country, if indeed he is one now. with
another 'tcrank,' held crowd of
country laborers in our streets until
Sabbath morning, disturbed the quiet
of the town, kept the merchants at |
their stores later than they should be, |
and all to preach division of we lth,
to sow the seeds os discomfort. is that |
rightp
Certainly the authorities of Dover |
have set good example in sustaining
the law and we have no patience with |
the demagoguery that would make po-
litical capital out Of it. The "Sen til
mel" does not reflect any credit upon
Repubiicanism in its attempt to cater
to the Single Takers in their violation
of law, nor did "acting Governor''
Watson make any friends when he
stopped judicial proceedings by the
questionable use of the pardoning
power. The Single Takers have gone
into this matter with their eyes open
and they should be permitted to endure
the Imprisonment which they curt.
We think Sheriff Shaw did perfectly
right in according to Messrs. Horan
and Stephens the freedom of the Jail,
and the Democratic abuse of the Sher-
iff was as partisan and as much to be
condemned as is the demagoguery Of
the Sentinel" We speak our opinion
frankly because we believe the oeea-
sion demands it. If ever the honest
patriotic citizens of a State should
stand together for the right the people
OF Delaware should do it now. We do
not believe Single Tax has any great
political power back of it but It is a
pernicious doctrine, and added to bri-
berry, TO disfranchisement by tax laws,
to the uncertain financial condition
that confronts US, 1t may prove the
straw finally to break the camel's back.
To this its leaders would all say
''alhen" for they ars disorganizsrs,
but how the Estate Sentinel'' with
Town Council composed Of Republi-
cans and Democrats acting together to