Middletown transcript., 1896-01-11
pARr1sANsuIp NOT PATRIOTISM

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| PARTISANSHIP NOT PATRIOTISM.
The object Of political parties should
he the enitctiBg Of laws for the better
government Of the people and the exc
cution Of those principals (principles)
that tend to patriotism, virtue and
morality. 1t is essential in govern
| ment like ours that there should be OPP
posing parties to restrain the ambition
and the evil purposes of designing men.
1t never was the design of any party in
its virgin purity to foster paternalism
and destroy the self respect of the
electors by assumin, to pay their taxes.
The ambition for office and honor, how
ever, have made such changes in the
party policies that we now witness
large sums being sent throughout the
State by the leaders of one of the great
parties for the purpose of paying taxes
and desperate struggle as to which
faction will be accorded the privilege
Of holding the larger number of tax
receipts. Such proceedings demoralize
and destroy the manliness of the voter
and elections are farce, a barter and
sale.-Pslot.
The patriotism Cf the first part of the
above editorial deserves as strong COM
mendation as the ga, tisanship of the
latter part deserves censure. Every
man who favors good government can
give hearty ''amen" to the opening
sentences, and every man who knows
the partisansh ip hid in the concluding
sentences can but hold the demago-
gism in contempt. 1t is with regret
that We pen such a sentence, but it. is
with greater regret that We see so for
chilly the truth of what we write. Per-
sonally we have the greatest respect for
the gentlemen who control the Pilot,
but politically, well /! they are poll
ticians and "the ambition for honor
and Office" is their excuse. Will they
be frank and honest with the people
and answer the following queries?
l. Did not the Democratic Party,
through its representatives, pay the
taxes Of such Of its voters n Sussex
county as they feared would be re-
turned delinquent in 1889, 1890 and
1891 when the Republicans controlled
the Levy Court there and the collectors
were Republican?
2. Did not the Hon. John w. Cau-
sey apply to the collector in Cedar
Creek hundred TO allow him to pay the
taxes Of certain Democrats in that
hundred and he was allowed to do So
to pay them in bulk, it was said at the
time?
8. Was it wrong for Mr.. Causey
and other Democrats to pay taxes then
and did the Democratic papers con-
denim it?
A. What proof is there that s'large
sums are being sent throughout the
State by the leaders Of one of the great
parties for the purpose Of paying
taxes"-the Republican Party being
the one referred to9 There is no proof
and the TRANSCRIPT has good reason
for believing that it is not true.
5. Did not the Democratic Party,
through its party leaders ana workers,
bribe voters and purchase votes at the
general election in this State in 1894?
6. Have not Democrats boen equally
guilty with Republicans in the prac-
tice Of vote-buying in this State. and |
why should the Democratic press Of the |
State condemn the evil in the Repub-
licans and condone it in Democrats?
These questions could be multiplied, |
but frank answer to the half dozen |
given above will satisfy us. Categori-
cal answers would oblige us and hosts
of our readers both Republicans and
Democrats. The TRANSCRIPT has no
desire to be partisan, and strives to
keep away from it as an evil and we
believe that our comments and queries
above given are patriotic. We con
denim the evils referred to, but we con-
denim just as strongly an unfair and
unjust ceDsure of only one party to a
fault. Let us be honest with each
other.
Other Democratic papers are invited
to answer the alb we questions. What
thinks the Susser Journal, the Segord
Ne,os, the SUSSEX Coantian, the Della
Care Democrat, of the queries?
We are half inclined to stop here and
await an answer though the .parti-
sanship" which outranks the .spatriot-
ism" in the Pilot article is made So
apparent in the following additional
clipping:
SIN view of the fact that there is
such contest who shall pay the taxes
of the delinquent Republicans by the
and Addicks leaders, it is the
duty of the collectors to receive no
taxes except paid by the person against
whom the tax stands. The system Of
payment Of taxes by bulk is not the
intention of the law, besides it is a
system OF bribery. Let every man find
the collector, pay his taxes, and put
the receipt in bis pocket and be man
for once in his life.''
The advice which is given to the
collectors is not patriotic; it is the
mnst subservient partisanship. If we
mistake not it makes a. falls
statement of the partisan decision of
our partisan courts. 1t is with regret
that we thus have to refer to the courts
but the facts not only warrant it but
demand it. The decision of the court
was that 1t is optional with the collec-
tor whether or not he receive taxes
from other than the person against
whom the tax stands. The Pilot saws
lit is the duty Of the collectors to re-
:eive no taxes'' except in person.