Middletown transcript., 1896-03-14
MORE POLITICAL DEvILTRY IN
SUSSEX.

MORE POLITICAL DEvILTRY IN
SUSSEX.
In 1895 William Allen, assessor for
Seaford hundred, made return of his
scrap assessment to the Levy Court of
Sussex county. Such return was re-
ported lost in either the Office Of the
Clerk of the Peace, or that Of the Levy
Court. From the political standpoint
of Democrats there appeared good rea-
son for its "loss," since majority of
the names upon it we're those of Re-
publicans.
On the first Tuesday in February
last the same assessor made his return
for the same hundred. and according
to custom it was filed in the office Of
the Clerk of the Peace. On the fol-
lowing Friday two leaves from this
assessment were found to be missing.
These pages contained the names of 50
Republicans and Democrats which
had been placed on the list by Assessor
Allen on appeal day. The Clerk of the
Peace, VINO is the custodian of the as
sessment lists, disclaimed all knowl-
edge of the missing pages of names. On
a motion made in the Levy !Court, and
passed without dissenting voice, the
Clerk of the Peace was instructed to
place the missing names upon the assess
ment lists.
Assessor Allen, wien called upon for
list of missing names, denied that he
had any copy or record of them. Mr..
Green, elected as a Republican men,
Der of the Levy Court from Seaford
hundred, had list of the missing
names and offered it to the Clerk of
the Peace, who declined to receive it on
the ground that it was not "official."
The Levy Court met on Tuesday last,
but Clerk of the Peace Houston was
not present. He was reported too i'll
to attend. He was at his Office the day
before, apparently in excellent health;
but he was not present on Wednesday
nor on Thursday, and it was presumed
that his illness was merely political,
and that he did not intend to appear
before the Levy Court at its present
session, and not until the disfranchise-
ment of the 58 Republicans from Sea-
ford hundred was completed.
The law makes it the duty of the
Clerk of the Peace to qualify in open
Court such men as shall appear before
that body to be assessed. Failing to
be assessed in the regular manner, those
from Seaford hundred could appear be-
fore the Levy Court and have their
names placed on the list at the March
session; but according to the Demo-
cratic construction of the law no one
but the Clerk of the Peace can admin
lister the necessary oath to such appli- |
cants for assessment. The Deputy
Clerk is held by Democrats to be in
capable of administering such oath.
Under this des. crate scheme for dis
Republicans. the appeal
list being stolen, 631citizens will be de-
prived of their right to vote unless the
Clerk of the Peace graciously conde-
scends to recover from his sudden ILL
ness and appear before his servants,
the members of the Levy Court!
There are other details of this we'll
planned political robbery of votes, but
The above outline gives most Of the es-
sential facts. Those figuring in the af-
air are nearly all identical with those
who conspired to steal two assessors
from the Republicans of Sussex county
1 year ago, and who. but for the deter
mined stand of Milford Republicans,
would have completed their attempted
.heft Of the assessor of Cedar Greek
The political outlaws that
igured in the one case are almost iden-
,ical with those who participated in the
other."
The above statement is from the
Neo0s dndAdyertiser of last Saturday.
The Susse1 Republican gave its readers
n substance the same information.
Not Democratic paper in that county,
md We believe not one ont of the coun-
y. has word to say upon the matter.
IN other words the Democratic news
'apers uphold such conduct in their
'alty officials for the benefit of the
'arty, aud in this way they make them
elves responsible for such outrages
gainst the political rights of others.
t is because of such deeds that many $
men have become Republicans. The
TRANSCRIPT will gladly give any ex-
lanation of this scheme to deprive 63
itizens of their votes. Let the Demo-
ratio papers speak.