The Wilmington daily Republican. (Wilmington, Del.) 1890-1902, 1898-08-15
PUBLISHED DAILY, EXCEPT SUNDAYS
nONDAY. AUGUST Is 1908.
Registration Fee the stumbling Bloch

Registration Fee the stumbling Block
There Is no doubt that when the new
constitution was promulgated, 1t WAS in-
tended to disfranchise the colored votsr.
From the small number Of them thus fnr
registered at tho two siltings Of tho regis
tiers. tho vote will DO tho smallest since
fhey received tho right Of suffrage Out
OF voting population Of ESQ In the city
only 70 have thus far qualified. The dollar
ds the Stumbling block. Nore's the pity,
when 1t Is made known that every good
citizen Is expected to pay something toward
the support Of tho local governments under
which he hyos and enjoy many privileges
such a. light aud police protection, well
paved streets and tho best water In the
world 1t begins to look as II tho colorcd
man was not rs good citizen as hs should
b considering that he Is an American in
Al his ideas and teachings. The white
vote. which foots up over la,OOO, is NOT
showing mp yet very onoouragingiy, as
thus far only 1850 hayo paid their dolllr
and plnced ON tho register. 80 that they
can vots ct tho election. Tho idea Of hav.
dns to pay q has nearly broken tho hearts
pf our yote1. There Is no doubt but tho
fee shonld have been nominal, say rs or 50
ssnts and We think the registration would
hs1e been by this tims. four times as largo
There Is ono thing certain, this Is another
Democratic Law that ths average Demo
cratic voter ia not taking to very kindly
and 10 saying all kinds of ouss words to
the men who enacted the law, which Is
likely to became boomerang and smito
tho Democrats harder than the Rspub,i-
San, notwithstanding the loss Of the COL
Ored vote TO that party. Thus far tho lar
ger part Of those who have registered havo
been Republicans. II the other twelve
shousand voters expect to get qualified to
xole the day Of election. they will have tD
harry up and plank down their dollar, as
next Saturday will be the last dny you can
register, so that the Republicans can vote
ct tho primaries which nominate the sher-
N, coroner, recorder Of deeds, representa-
sives to the Legislature and other county
officers. 1t is essential, II tho voter does
not wish to lOso bis vote, that he should
see that he is registered, or he cannot vote
for the next two years. So it IL worth
while to comply with tho law and keep
from being dsfranchised. Tho cost OF tho
,registratiou in the city In which thsro aro
si1ty-five districts, amounts to a consider
able sum. 1t takes three men in each Of
the sixty districts who receive SIS each
for the work, and SIS more for the room in
which the registration Is held thus making
$3.50. Thus far they have taken in s2?s9,
but probably by the time the registration
ds up, the al may reach 10000. There is
no doubt but that the vote at the coming
election will be the smallest that has taken
place In the history Of the city, county or
State, according to the population. TLero
10 one thing certain and that is tina. every
citizen who Is not criminal and of age,
should have right to vote without aDy
Obstacles being put in their way Elections
should be conducted fair and voting made
Say. The present law is only one of the
humorous laws lint have been given Della.
ware In the last fifty years. that was con-
eeiyed by Democrats and made possible for
Ats place in the new constitution. The idea
was to make votinga burden o tho poor
man, and it always has been in the history
Of our State, The men who conceived
thls law at first cd to make tho rey.s-
@ratlon fect2 while the Republican mem
bers insisted on making it % cents BY !
lka fDO,lSLne.S Of thp RnHrbli,,ps h..