The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1896-12-20

lature, while New Castle, with her 24,000. has
only one.third. This is under the old Constltu-
tion. When that was adopted Wilmington was
not the important city IL is now. and each OF
the three counties had about the same popula-
tion, so each received the same representation.
New Castle has grown since, and Kent and
Sussex have stood still.
Now for the pecullarities In tho laws. II is
the tax law that has to do with the elections.
The Delinquent Tax law is VIGOROUSLY the most
unfair and the worst law that has n place on
the statute books Of any State in the Union. Its
chief object is not to raise revenue for the
State. but to enable the disfranchisemen OF
tho people. In that 1t is worthy Of tho term,
diabolical. The Hon. Thomas +. Bayard. the
present Ambassador To the Court OF 81. James's,
Is the man who made It. lie was thcn in power
In Delaware and did not propose that anybody
else ever should attain to power. Tho law and
its operation have been explained In THE SUN.
The law provides n tax qualification for voting.
Assessors assess the tax. tho Levy Courts make
out the tax list, and the collector or receiver is
supposed to collect the tax. No man may vote
who has not paid n Tux which Ia assessed at least
Elk months prior to an election, and II n man
does not pay his tax and is returned as n de.
l~inQuent the law says he shall not have the right
to get on tho tax list again for n year. Collectors
frequently flee about tax paying time so as to
avoid taking taxes. Thus men arc DISTINGUISHED.
Because they did not pay their taxes they are
returned AS delinquents. They have to 90 to
the Levy Court to get on the lit again. Sup
pose the list of delinauents is accepted by the
Levy Court on March -. No delinquent can
get on the list until the following March "a. On
the March % following the Levy Court will ad-
journ for the year, and then the would-be tax
payer is disfranchiscd for another year and he
has no remedy.
TRICKS OF THE LEVY COURT.
Again. the assessor may assess John A. Smith
rs John Smith or j. smith. When John A.
Smith goes To pay his tax the collector looks
over his list and says: There 10 no John a.
Smith on the list. There is a John Smith here,
but that Is not you. You say your name is John
A. Smith" Under this law petty annoyances
of all kinds are possible, AMI every petty annoy.
ahce means tho Acknowledgement OF n voter.
The tax qualification itself is an incentive to
bribery. because men who have no particular
individual interest in tho result of the election
and mcn who have no care for the State. us far
as 1t does not interfere With them directly, will
not qualify themselves 20 vote by paying the
tax. and every year thousands of taxes arc paid
by the political parties or the Individual cRndi-
date for Office to assure themselves the votes OF
these bad citizens. So much for the law and its
bad features. Now for the growth OF bribery.
Previous TO 1855 there was bribery In the
state. but only In n small way. Each party
bribed its own mel to vote rather than at
tempted to brihe the men Of the up
posing party. Each party had n certain
number OF old men. who had voted year
aftcr year for their party, who worc poor
and needed assistance. Each OF these men got
presents, n pair OF boots, Il second hand snit OF
clothing or something similar, and finally
money. Perhaps cheap dresses were sent TO
their wives. Finally money became the only
present for those who would take II. There
were some who would not. and with them a
sack OF flour or something OF that kind would
do the business. From paying the old men
grew the fashion of paying the workinGmen.
The politician would 60 around before
election day and would ask the painter or
the carpenter or the farm hand whether he was
going To vote. The man would reply that he
guessed he wouldn't. Then would come the
question. Why moi! ?" The answer generally
would be that the man was busy and the polls
were n long way off. and he couldn't afford to
lose the time. IL was the most natural Thing In
the world for the politician who was personally
interested To say: Well. I'll pay you for your
time" All this was bad enough. but there was
no direct bribery in the sense that n man was
asked TO sink his principles and vote for cash
alone. For some years previous to 1883 there
WAS II little direct bribery, but II remained for
that year to bring about the first Wholesale de-
bauchery Of the people.
THE sArISBURY-woLCoTT FEUD.
The year 1855 was marked BY two events
momentous In the history of Delaware. 1t was
In that year that the famous feud between the
Salisbury and Wolcott factions OF the Demo-
cratic party was fought out. and IL was in that
year that the foundation for the feud that
npy aNigta In tho Rannhllrun not ~
laid. But Of this later. The year of the
-Wolcott feud is known in Delaware
to-day as the year uf the great fight. The
debauchery OF the voters in this year began
at the primaries. Salisbury and Wolcott strove
to get the upper hand n; these primaries OF the
Democratic party. and in the hight money was
used -loads Of money. Votes were bought for $40
each. Cor SEQ. for $40. and In some instances for
$40 each. Men who had never sold their votes.
men who had never thought Of selling them.
men who looked with adherence on the practice.
were approached in 1883. and were imp0rtuned
to help one side or the other. II they had no
particular interest In the fight, all the better for
the vote buyers. II they had conscientious
scruples they were told that IL wasn't an cleo
ton, hut only n fight between two men. and IL
was no more than right that the victor should
pay for 1t. lie was willing and the voter might
as well take the money; OF course. in an cleo
tlOH HODpuy WOuil lhlnk OIL offering mOney-anu
SO on. Then 1t was that tho debauching of a
great number In tho Democratic party was
brought about. The seed for what has followed
was sown at the succeeding election. The Re-
publican party In the State had money. The
Republicans did not know how to use II 80 effect
lively as did the Democratic. They had not had
the exp experience of n primary fight OF the
bitterness OF the feud. They turned
their money over to the faction of tho
Democratic party that was whipped at the pri-
maries. and these Democrats bought Democratic
votes for the Rcpu blicans. while the Democrats
who had won at the primary found what was
going on. went into the Republican camp, and
began the debauching OF the Republican voters.
This seed has fourished as the tares in the
wheat field. The weeds have grown up and
have well nigh choke the grain. In one Of the
largest towns in Kent county a man said SORROW
fully OF one class of voters: Eight years ago
three of them sold their votes, six years ago n
dozen. four years ago two dozen, and two years
ago there were only two dozen OF them who
Hi1ptt snl TkiS tl,nr III ,.ll