Middletown transcript., 1896-03-28


the Clerk of Peace may administer the
oath. This necessitates that he be in
his office all the time and is hardship
to him, or the men who come before
the Court to be assessed must wait for
his return and in the meantime the
Court adjourns. The would-be voter
and his voucher are sent home 20 re-
turn again at an expense and loss OF
time that is hardship. This is the
law or the Democratic Interpretation,
and it has been suffered for twenty
three years and through its manipula-
tions the party in power has ruled for
twenty three years.
Just at this point in our writing the
mail comes in and We find therein an
unsigned poster offering a reward of
S2500 dollars for the Clerk of the Peace of
Kent Comfy. The circular says: HE
is wanted at the Office Of the Levy
Court of Kent county to perform his
duty in qualifying patriotic citizens
who desire the assessment of their
names to enable them to contribute
their share to the Treasury of the
County which is empty" This may
be joke or it may be true. We do
not remember that MI. Dickson has
ever been accused of absenting himself
from the Levy Court when men were
SET king assessment, though he may.
Ws shall gladly state that this is joke
of some friend, perhaps sent out as
mark of distinction from the conduct
of Clerk Houston Of Sussex county
who runs away at every opportunity
to deprive Republicans of their votes,
if such is the case. If it is not, and
Mr.. Dickson has Joined in the disgrace
full attempts 10 disfranchise he shall
receive the most severe censure at our
hands. We believe in absolute fair
play and will do no one willing in
justice, but we believe with Gen. Dix
that the man who attempts to haul
down the American flag Ito deprive
a citizen of his vote) should be shot
upon the spot.
Of the Clerk of the Peace of Sussex
county the '.Sussex Republican says:
1--WE say that E. W. Houston absented
himself from his duties,t two years ago
for which duties he spaid handsomely
by the county-to attend the funeral Of
the wife of the cousin of his wife's frs:
husband, and then when he returned
to his duties, the Levy Court ran away
in their turn, keeping scores of citizens
off the lists. increasing the tax rate,
increasing the county debt, delaying
public improvements, destroy ing pub
lie credit. and thereby injuring the
people both at home ard abroad"
And Mr.. Houton is again absenting
himself. This is an outrage on the
people, not on Republicans alone, but
on the people who must pay the taxes
re presented by those whose taxes the
county is thus deprived of.
There remains but three days now
for men to get assessed TO vote in No.
vember. No one can be put on the
assessment, not legally, after the 31st
day of March. Are you assessed? If
not 60 to the county seat with voucher
who is 1. freeh older and take the FAM
lily Bible to testify to your age.
The Milford Chronicle of yesterday
under the caption "Political Thieves
says that the Sussex Levy Court ad-
journed sine die on Wednesday with
fifty men clamoring to be put on the
assessment lists. The court was in ses-
sion an hour and half on Monday,
two hours on Tuesday aud twenty-five
minutes on Wednesday. The court
stands six Republicans, seven Demo-
Gratis and Democratic clerk. The Re-
publican members were powerless to
act. The Chronicle says:
"The court finally adjourned in row
without making any allowances. fixing
the tax ra.e, or doing anything more
than robbing fifty so-called freemen Of
their right Of suffrage"
The Chronicle says Clerk Dickson of
Kent county has been playing the
same game of absenting himself to de-
prive men of their votes. Anywhere
from 200 to 500 men are deprived Of
their votes in this way, enough to