Year: 1879




whore are we Drifting to?


There are many we'll meaning homes
itizsns who have read the published
account Of the Southern plan Of carry
inr elections for the solid Democracy
With great deal Of crsdulity who
since the election in this city On Tues
dsy last, will naturally conclude that
these reports referred to have not been
exaggerated. The plan by which cleo
tions we're carried was fully developed
and though there was an absence OF
that extreme violence which character.
ICES Mississippi and Louisiana elections.
it was only because such violence was
not required to obtain the desired end.
The thing called an election on Tues
day will do good as 1t shows how easily
frauds and outrages are committed, and
there will be no need to wonder now
how such things occur In the South
when right here at home in the city Of
Wilmington onos famous for It's loyalty
and love Of fair play, citizens who vote
contrary to the behests Of the Dsmocra-
cy are outraged by having their rights
crushed down and their votes made Of
no avail by drunken rsbble Of loafsrs
and bummsrs who are the pests Of SO.
ciety. The crimes against law and or
der, against justice and right, and
against show Of decent respectability,
committed ON tuesday last, If they
were all discovered and recorded would
make dark page in the history Of our
local politics. By series Of manipula


items, known only to politicians, unscru-
pulous, unprincipled and grossly i'm
moral men, who have no regard what
ever for the binding obligations Of An
oath, are generally appointed to hold
the elections. This opens the way for
the commitment Of almost any grade Of
crime 10 get votes into the ballot box.


The miserable farce Of Tuesday was
bat the culmination Of what has long
been in preparation by the Democratic
party Of the State, which has oontinu.
ously had possession Of the State gov
srnment and Legislature from time un-
memorable by the present generation.
Even since the emancipation of the col.
ored people, and clothing them with
the rights Of citizenship, it has been
found necessary for the Democratic
Legislature at almost every session TO
make some amendment to some law
relating to the political rights Of the
people that would strengthen the Dem
ocratic party and weaken the opposi.
tion. The first encroachment upon
wholesome municipal government com,
menced soon after the war, when the
Legislature abolished the prepayment
of = city tax as condition upon which
. person was allowed to vote. This at
once admitted to the polls class who
had never paid municipal taxes, and
tho State and county tax being merely
. nominal amount, this class referred
to was made FREQ use Of to further the
ends Of designing and dishonest Demo.
cratic politicians. This intended aid
TO the Democratic party, by which the
city lost some $4,000 to sl0, 600 year
in the loss Of taxes, was Offset by the
clothing of the colored race with the
political franchise aid admitting them
to the polls. This made some 800 new
voters in the city, who being released
from slavery by the Republican party.
and feeling gratiful for their deliver
ance, naturally cast their votes and
influence with the party that favored
them. This vote added so much TO the
strength of the Republicans that they
were likely to retain a firm, strong
hold Of the municipal government, and
some more manipulations had to be
made by the Legislature that would
naturally result in the practical dis
franchisement of the colored voters
The Legislature was equal to the emer-
gency, as was shown by the passage Of
the present iniquitous and unjust law
regulating the assessment and collec.
tion Of taxes. By this law enforced by
Democratic officers the colored Republi-
cans and about one third of the white
Republicans have never been called
upon to pay any State and county taxes
and the law not allowing a person ne
glecting to pay such tax to be placed
on the assessment list until year
intervenes, the voters names, especially
of Republicans, disappear from the
assessment books, and it is almost i'm
possible afterwards, owing to the intri-
cacies of the law to get them on the
books again. This law has had exactly