Middletown transcript., 1896-10-24
AN oUTRAGEi

1.-THE attempt to disfranchise l39
legally qualified voters of East Dover
hundred, including such prominent
men as John f. Saulsbary, Ex-Pro-
thonotary Belts and others, is at out
rage on the people and should never be
submitted to-" was the opinion Of an
indignant citizen Of Middletown upon
the Kent county registration muddle
as developed last Saturday. Looking
only ct this one act any man Of fail
mind can agree in that opinion. Tc
rob man of his vote is an outrage
and it makes it neither greater nor less
that the victim happens to be pro.
minent man. The poor mans ballot
is as dear to him as is that Of the rich.
But the Dover matter does not stand
alone and fairly cannot be looked at by
itself.
It appears that in Smyrna, Clayton
and Little Creek the Democrats pre-
pared lists containing LOG Republicans
whose names it was proposed to strike
from the registration books. The rea-
son assigned was that while these men
had ss.paid a tax within two years. &C
cording to the Constitution. the tax
was for 1894 and these interpreters q
the Constitution proposed to decide
whether the s'within two years" meant
the payment of the tax or its assess
ment. Some Of them had also been re-
turned as delinquents. The law has
always been interpreted to refer to the
payment OF the tax. It looked as
though the disfranchisement Of two
years ago in Duck Greek was to be re-
peated. AS an offset to this. it is
claimed, the Dover lists. where the Re
publicans have majority in the boards,
were made up. Upon what basis save
that "might makes right" we do not
know, but it appears that the one tout
rage" has counteracted the other, an
agreement having been reached that
the whole matter be dropped. Two
wrongs do not make right, but there
is always a satisfaction when men are
caught in traps they have set for
others.
Republicans have cried out for years
against the outrage Of our assessment
and collection laws. The convention
which will meet in December to form
ulate new constitution will have an
opportunity to give the people Of the
State relief from these evils. They
threaten the very liberty of the people.
And the registration laws, passed as
reform measures are as capable of be-
ing manipulated as are the tax laws.
Certainly the present difficulties must
emphasize the need for honest reforms
of all and not merely one Of these out
RACES.
To bring the matter home, is it not
as great an outrage to deprive our fell
low citizen, Martin -Paynter, of his
vote because through no act of his some
one has spelled his name with an in
stead of an a, as it would be to treat
Mr.. Salisbury or Mr.. Belts in the same
wayp Mr.. Paynter has not the politi-
cal pull that those gentlemen have but
he is entitled to his vote just as much.
And again, is it not an outrage to make
fish of one and flesh of anther? Here
are three names, fellow townsmen with
Mr.. Psynter, who have been registered
though the errors in their names are
equal to his. Their names are on
on the registration lists and we mean
nothing personal to them in using them
rs illustrations:
CORRECT ASSESSED
VIM. ]. Corrie VIM. j. Curry
Geary Whitlock Carrie Whitlock
Albert H. Muehiberg Albert II. Muchlberg
Why should these three gentlemen
be registered and not Mr.. Paynter?
There is but one reason-he is Re-
publican and they are Democrats.
Such an abuse of the law law is an cut
rage. It is not agreeable to speak such |
plain truths Of matters so near at home
but unless they were spoken s.ths very
stones would cry out" Men who con-
denim the one act and defend the others |
are not honest with themselves.