New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1897-06-13
TUE "TAX RECEIPT" GAME.
,rs ABOLITION MARKS A NEW ERA IN
DELAWARE POLITICS.

,rcroHs WITH GUNS TO PAY THEIR
rAxEs-rRAUD PERFECTED By
DEMOCRATIC INIoUIrY.
Wilmington. Del. June 12.-With the going
into effect last week OF Delaware's new Cons'tu-
ZION. there passes out OF existence one OF inc
most highly perfected political systems by which
neople have ever Leen cheated out or their votes
THE tax laws Of Delaware are unique and unpar-
alleled 80 Ubiquitous, 30 outrageous ana yer III
,be,r srotesoue completeness 80 amusing mat
slight account Of them. before they FADE utterly
from, the statute book and from the memory OF
men, may be interesting to those VINO i've III
other States and under other systems perhaps
as corrupt, but hardly absurd Indeed. TO all
hut Delawareans. there is an oper bouffe flavor
about the subject OF Delaware taxes. ana OUT
sders have been known to doubt the facts OF the
ease and refuse to believe that a State exists
whore men hunt a collector with a shotgun In or
der 70 compel him to receive their taxes. lhis
disbelief. however. does not in the least anect
the accuracy Of the above statement In Dela-
ware taxes are a luxury. a privilege, and striVeh
,or accordingly, and not burden. as In ordinary
communities.
The tax laws were in the Delaware Constltu-
,on for forty years before their possibilities were
perceved The Constitution provided tnat ever!
free male citizen Of the age OF twenty-five years
or inward. having resided IN the State one year
next before the election. and the last iiioii'
thereof in the county where ne oHers he 'oe'
and having within two years next oeioie 'e
election paid county tax which shai' nave oee'
.....oa q, ,aa.+ ak months before the election
shall enjoy the right OF an eiector' A"'.
,houoh making the payment Of duly assessed
tar a necessary qualification Tor every Vo'ei.
was never thought Of as an engine OF po''io"'
mower until In 1873 the Democrats OF delaware
then under the leadership OF Thomas r basafu'
saw their opportunity to employ 1t IN disfran-
.h,.,rg the negro vote. Fully to accomplish this
desirable end. the following law was enacted IN
addition: ,...
Coo,,orI That hereafter It shall be the duty
n, ,hs collector of county taxes. In each eiecuo"
district in this State. to give pubic ho.ite "! az
vertisement. posted in ten or more "a 'M r,ch no.
public places in such district stating III sun ~,
tjces the place Of residence or OF business Oh sun
collector and his readiness TO receive .aHeS,
IT shall also be the duty OF eacn sucn Zach YEAR
aforesaid In the month Of January In eaeh !eai,
AGAIN 10 give public notice. as AFORESAID, vi az
least ten days which last-mentloned no'icS s, go
state the times and places at wnicn sau taxes
will attend for the purpose OF iece,e 80
then due and unpaid: and 1t shall De tne W. ,
the Levy Court in every county upon PROOF pv's
made to them by the ahldavlt OF re ,orth mat
verified by oath affirmation setting 10, ' aId
ba has given notice as required ana ,hat nc u ~
attend at the times and places oesisna. a;d
such notice for the reception OF taxes. anu o u,t
ra,a,n FOR the space of at least five hours IN eacn
dav and for the period of at least three ia! III
attendance to allow said collector as oelihquen
cies the uncollected by nm ah sro ,e the
Of said delinu,ients shall be dropped from tne as
easement list by the Levy Court, ana snali no.
. be placed thereon again for perioo ol .Tone
months from and after the GATE Vi su''' ~
ance.
HOW THE GAME WAS PLAYED.
,;nouent, taxpayer loses his right to vote FOR
TWO wears And as the collector. by evadlng lhe
,axnaver makes him a delinquent just as
much as II the evasion upon the other
side the beautiful completeness Of the scheme
hecomes evident The laws did their work
they disfranchised the negro at once flusheo
with such easy success, the Democrats pro-
ceeded TO try them on the white Repuphcahs'
too-and they have kept up the game ever SINCE
becoming more skilful in their tactics by LOEB
practice. year after year. And. although ooth
assessors and collectors liable by STATUTE 10
fine and Imprisonment IL they evade the re-
ca,n, ~ taxes. iuries invariably disagree. and
there has never been conviction
OF course the collectors could not trihe WIN
prominent citizens. owners OF real estate ana
men Of means Their taxes were needed anu
must be collected But the rank and file or
Republican
the tenant farmer the factory hand-these
were fair game The collector. therefore, IN
variably fixed his five hours day" exactly in
the working part Of the day, taking recess
from u to 2 o'clock. so that any Republican
workingman must lose half a days wages, at
least 10 nav his tax During the five hours
OF attendance a long line Of Democratic heel
ers admitted in some instances through rear
door passed leisurely before the collectors
desk. TO be examined at interminable length as
10 names residences, etc. taking their own
time TO reply while eager Republicans, pressing
forward. their money held In outstretcheu
hands. put off with one pretext OF an
other. II nothing else would serve, ana IL WAS
a district where the election was likely 10 DC
close Qf honesty. the collector would become
III and remain so for two days out Of the three
On one such occasion the story goes that forty
Republicans surrounded the collectors house,
produced a rope and threatened TO lynch him
unless he received their taxes The sick man
promptly got up out Of bed. and. without TAX
ing time to put on his clothes. wrote out the
receipts for the crowd.
HUNTING A COLLECTOR.
Another well-known Delaware anecdote is Of
O chase across the fields, regular game OF
hare and hounds, where the collector the
hare and outran his pursuers, taking refuge.
finally in the house Of legal friend where he
hid himself very appropriately behind book
case full Of bound volumes OF the laws Of
Delaware The pursuing taxpayers. coming up
al last demanded entrance. The lawyer he
roically defending his friend. forbade them to
cross the threshold. at their peril; whereupon
they surrounded the house and determined to
starve the collector out. This was before noon
n he Of naDleSS
lector attempted to escape through rear WIN
dow. but was caught before ne had gone more
than q few yards. Once In the hands OF his
exasperated hunters, ne had five minutes given
him 10 begin making out his receipts for the