The sun., 1898-12-11
BRING ORDER OUT OF CHAOS
Party in Power Unaware of
Clear, Distinct and Specific
Laws Needed.
HAVE THEM WELL DEFINED
Under New Constitution All County
Offices Shall Be Salaried.
These Amounts Are
Now the Absorb
ing Topics.

UC al dUnoI UluS VopiC VI SoAyCicdVioi
among the people when the matter
comes up for consideration, and while
we are in favor of fairly liberal salaries
which will command the services Of mer
competent and quilted for the position
we are in favor of and shall advocate
that the duties of every one OF the county
officers shall be clearly and distinctly de-
fined-as far as the English Language
will be able to convey the idea, of wha
shall, and what shall not be their duties.
For years past the people have beer
hoodwinked, deceived, cheated and de.
frauded, while a few Republicans who
had given the matter their, closest atten'
tion and study have said publicly and
openly that the people were being de-
ceived and cheated and the very prin.
ciples of free government were being
sapped and perverted by men for selfish
purposes and party aggrandizement, the
warning went unheeded and not believed
in until the whole matter eliminated in
the steal of Kent and Sussex counties in
1896.
Then the supposed fanatics, who had
been crying as one in the wilderness,
were accepted as prophets and priests.
In the last election these men, who had
been as the forerunners of coming events,
were believed in and trusted by the peo-
pie, and on the day of election, having
confidence, voted the Union Republican
ticket in these two counties-that better
things could be done.
The Republican party Of Delaware
labors under very great disadvantage at
this time, in that all the political laws
are contained in and enveloped by the
laws pertaining to the assessment and
collection of taxes and the duties of the
Levy Court. As Republican lawyers
have not heretofore practiced this branch
OF the laws, the party is handicapped by
not knowing just what clear, distinct
and specific laws are required to bring
order out of apparent chaos.
For it must be remembered that the
constitution does not define this duty,
and, for more than a hundred years, the
custom has prevailed of doing things in
a certain way when the law was silent
upon the matter. This custom has all
the sanction, force and legality, as if
there were statutes regulating the same.
1t follows as sequence that it is
given only to the very few, who are
thoroughly conversant with Levy Court
methods, to know the exact operations
and workings of that body, and to clear
ly define just what are the duties of the
Levy Court, of the Clerk of the Peace
or of every other county officer.
Allegations have been made Of Repub-
Iican incompetency in Levy Court ex-
penditures in Sussex county, but it must
be remembered that the secretary of that
body is the Clerk of the Peace, and that
some of his duties are defined by law;
that the Indebtedness OF Sussex is prob
ably about $75, 900, and that the county
orders are hawked about at heavy dis
count and that for the purpose Of paying
taxes they are discounted by those that
hold them, al from ten to twenty per
cent, that the people are suffering from
a previous burden in the shape of taxes.
That it is the sworn duty OF the Clerk
OF the Peace to guard jealously the inter-
est of the taxpayers and to perform their
duty to the interest of the taxpayers.
Yet in spite OF this, bills were brought
in and allowed as follows:
Sussex Republican, for two pub
LEGATIONS of sample ballot... $240
Democrat Printing Co., for two
publications of sample ballot $24O
Extra work on ballots .....". 16
$256
John B. Robinson, of Whining
ton, for printing ballots"...... 1862
John B. Dorman, Clerk OF the
intn
printing........." ........"..." 3S4
Another bill was presented by the
Clerk of the Peace of 5000, tor ballots,
paper, ETC., but the matter was laid over
by the Levy Court for investigation.
1t can be seen from these allowances
who is getting the money-whether they
are Republicans or Democrats, yet the
cry has gone forth of "alleged Republi-
can incompetency."
Can not a competent commission of
lawyers draft loan, that shall meet all
the requirements and place the fiscal al.
fairs of all the counties upon purely |
business basis?
And clearly define in that law, regard
less of the accumulated rubbish of laws
now in the Revised Code pertaining to
the assessment and collection of taxes
laws, and of the Levy Court or County
Commissioners, just, what the duty Of
such officer is and should be.
Then the officer who violates them
can be held to strict accountability,
and the future welfare of such individual
will be taken care of by the people of the
district which he represents.
Surely something must be done
towards our finances: If not and our
and call goes unheeded, we may
soon look to repetition of the rule Of
;he Tweed ring Of New York, though on
q smaller scale, in Delaware affairs.