Milford chronicle., 1926-10-15

not understand the IdcI-lndI INC
"Filing Fee" which is paid annual
" by every man and woman of vot-
ing age IN Delaware, and which is a
tax that goes toward support of pub
lie school education, has no con-
pection with registration for voting,
The Morning News, of Wilmington,
editorially said on this subject some
very plain words, which we reprint
that they may have more readers in
lower Delaware.
Strange as itgmay seem to most
of us the idea persists in many parts
of the State that registration has
something to do with the filing fee.
According 10 this notion if person
is registered he or she is liable to
the So tax, while if not registered,
the citizen escapes paying the tax.
Some days ago we referred to
this matter as affecting this city and
New Castle county. Those thorough
ly familiar with the situation believ-
ed that this false idea had something,
if not considerable, to do with the
decline in the registration.
eve have just had the same kind
of message from the lower counties.
Many persons there believe ii they
are not on the registration books
they escape the filing tax. Nothing
could be further from the truth.
This idea has no foundation in fact.
Our people might as well under
stand that they must pay this filing
fee or they face trouble.
"The State Tax Department during
the last few months has rounded up
many delinquents, and in instances
large sums have been received due
to failure to pay in the past. This
filing fee has nothing to do with
registration, and is not connected
with the present campaign.
Every citizen is supposed to pay
the fee. He will be compelled to
pay it. Whether a man or a woman
votes, or fails to vote, has nothing
to do with the State Tax Depart
ment, which is charged with the re-
sponsibility of executing law pass
ed by our legislature.
"It is the prime duty of persons
to register and vote. The next regis
/ tration day will be October l6. Ant
we repeat that persons who have
/ failed to register so far, and thint
by failing to register this Saturday
/ October 16, they will escape paying
the filing fee are much mistaken
They are simply disfranchisins
/ themselves and will have no say il
electing persons who make the laws
@e@
THE RESPONSIBILITY for th'
present state of political apathy does
not rest entirely on the voters them
selves, and furthermore, it will no
be cured by radio talks, Sunday eve
ming sermons on the responsible
ties of good government or by thu
I distribution of prize banners to thu
communities which show 1000 ett1
cheney in exercising their franchise
The real and only cure is for tn
statesmen, politicians, and other
interested to talk in a positive, con
vincing and attractive manner abou
the things the people are intereste'
in.
We cannot really blame the Demo
cratic spellbinders for not holdin
their audiences during this presen
campaign, for it must be admitte
at the best they have little, if any
thing, to really talk about. But Re
publican speakers have no sue
alibi. There never was a campaig
when so many fine things have bee
accomplished-things which touc
each and every mothers son Of US
and which the people would be gla
to hear about, if the orators woul
lust light into them.
There are too many speakers VIII
exhaust themselves as well as tn
patience of their audience with ino1
dinately long citations from statisti
cal documents. Bill Jones is natural
ly interested, casually at least, /
learning of the billions Of dollar
saved, but Bill is not to be criticise
for Indifference if after listening t
the recitation he finds that tn
speaker ignores entirely the dollar
and cents saving which accrues t
him personally through these var
ious economies. The Republican
have facts, plenty of them to interes
audiences. All that is needed is
reasonable mixture of human-natur
psychology with the statistics.
@eS
SUNSET MUSINGS
No heroic sacrifice is ever lost; tn
characters of men are nodded
L. InnH HIni1.