Middletown transcript., 1897-08-28
"REPUBLICAN GLAssEs'' IN THE
STAR.

on Wednesday last promptly agreed,
without dissenting voice, to provide
for the appointment of committee on
conference to meet with similar COM
mittee to be named by the Union Re
publican State Central Committee. The
object Of this action is the union OF the
two Republican factions In Delaware
for the patriotic purpose Of taking con-
troll of the affairs of this common
wealth, and giving it decent govern
ment. These State committees are on
the right track. IL their respective
chairman will select wise and conserva-
tive men. as they will no doubt, the
conference must end in great good to
the State. Any effort to secure fac
tional advantage, or "to score points
for our side" or to humiliate this man
or that, win prove disastrous to the
side that makes the attempt. Personal
abuse, in public print at least, and the
nefarious practice Of confding to Dem
ocratic editors what the sneak is afraid
to have published in his own factional
organs, must cease at once. The exper-
ience of the last ten months has brought
wisdom to every man who is capable OF
rational consideration. No man who
has shown by recent bitterness that ne
is incapable of learning wisdom by ex-
perience is ct to be one Of the confer
rees. The Republican State Commit
tee adopted q resolution drawn up in
the proper spirit, and they also sent a
proper letter to Chairman Alice, Of the
other committee, in reply to his COM
munication of a month ago. There is
some danger that the committee OF
conference as proposed is too numer-
GUS, as 1t will altogether be composed
of eighteen members; nine on a side.
However, it is a matter Of the gravest
Importance, and too many men cannot
share its responsibility, provided they
are wise and patriotic.
"The poll taxables of Wilmington
are not rushing to the court house
these days of Mckinley prosperity.
They are too busy earning wages with
which to pay the store and rent bills
which they incurred during the four
years of Cleveland tariff reform. They
are using their money to pay back
rents with, and also to improve their
condition. Those who have been
"boarding with relatives" or "living
| in two rooms" are renting houses
again and paying the rent with their
present earnings. Thus they are increas'
ing their expenses and largely increas-
ing the amount they are constantly
and surely paying in taxes to the county
and the city. The workingman who
rents a house must pay enough in rent
to cover the interest for the value Of
the house, as well as all the taxes levied
upon the house. If he takes rooms In
q house he must pay In the same pro.
portion, both for interest money and
for taxes. If he takes board in house
he is compelled again to keep mp his
/ end of interest money and taxes. This
is as certain as fate or death. No man
can live in house and escape the pay
ment Of interest on capital and taxei
to the commonwealth, unless he il
s'sponging' on some one. But in adj
dition to this, the Democratic party Of
Delaware proposes to compel him tc
pay poll tax, which is tax on hi
head, his brains and on the skill Of hil
hands. This tax is wrong in principle
and long ago abandoned by every in.
telligently governed community. II
has been retained in only five states
and therein solely for partisan rea'
sons.
"In Delaware, by the !Constitutiona
Convention of last winter, thanks tt
the determined Republican minority
this relic ;of barbarism was separated
from the franchise, but the Democrats
of the Convention, bullied by their ig
norant and dishonest politicians o.
Kent county, insisted upon holding OF
to the tax itself, in order that its col
lection might give jobs to party work
ers, to whom they proposed in bill
before the Legislature, to pay 20 pc
centum, or one-fifth of the poll tax
In the old days, when this tax wa
used to disfranchise men, these SAM
Democratic bosses were glad enough
not to get the tax. They used to rul
away from the men who came forwarC
to offer the money. In more than ont
instance they had to be thrashed int
taking it. In those days they said moth
ing about locking NTH up III Jail, 81
though the law then was the same a
now. For twenty-five years their col
lectors evaded the poll tax payers snt
had no man locked up.
"Nor will they dare to lock up mel
, to-day for neglecting to pay this tax
No man need be afraid of spending
night in New Castle. Jail for this OF
Tense. Let them try it. Let them al
rest men at their peril. Let the Demo
cratic collectors of Wilmington arres
a single poor man for this offense, an
there will be more~trouble in the SC
called Democratic party than tina
mongrel collection has seen in all it
days put together. The workingmen 0
Wilmington will stick together on tbi
issue. For every Republican locked u
with Sheriff Finn at New Castle, tw
Democrats will vote the Repnblical
ticket next fall. They have feelin
already that Protection is right an
tariff reform wrong for the working
man; they know that Mckinley is
better president than Cleveland; the