Daily Republican., 1879-11-24
The Illegal yotins Question.

Though there mas only pseh ono oonr
siction at the present term OF Court Tor
Illegal voting, this alone shows that
the Courts and iuriea Of New Castle
county can be relied upon to check
such frauds as were perpetratfd at the
late city election of WILMINGTON. Had
the lash of justice fallen on one higher
in the ranks of those who by a syste-
matted effort polluted the ballot box,
than poor "Gus" O'Donnell, the effect
woula have been much better. "Gus"
il more to be pitied than blamed for
what he did. The child OF poverty
and misfortune, without any hind par
entail example, and without mental or
moral training, a wait upon society, he
FILL a victim to the more cunning and
deliberate, who profit by his mtstor
tune, II is a conviction from which
neither Judge, jury nor advocate could
escape, but We would rather have seen
.'Gus" O'Donnell escape il it had been
possible, and the results OF hs crime
visited upon tho guilty authors OF
his troubles. Behind him stand the
really guilty parties, hidden by veil
thin in texture from the public gaze,
whe organized and carried into effect
the deliberate frauds which disgraced
the name of election On the second Of
last November. The indications are
that there were men, some of them in
official positions Of honor and trnst, be-
hind the scenes, who worked mp this
conspiracy to defraud the people out of
their honest choice of city rulers. This
is shown in the fact that these repeat
ers were paid dollar for each vote
they cast. This money was raised
somswh here, and where would 1t ba
more likely to be raised than from
those who were favored with the emolu-
ments Of office. We do not pretend to
say that all who contributed to this
corruption fund, knew OF. the purposes
to which it was to be applied before
they subscribed, and yet it can scarcely
be denied that there we're city officials
who could not help but be cognizant OF
the fact that it was to be applied to
corrupt purposes. It Is said that some
Of the city officials have been indicted
and true bills found against them by
the Grand Jury at the present term Of
court for completely in the crime. II
they are guilty and there is avery rea-
son for believing that they are, upon
their shoulders should the results Of
this crime be visited. II is we'll known
that prominent policeman esrted
around repeaters from poll to poll, and
that there were inspectors who took
the votes Of the repeaters not once but
twice, even after their votes had
been objected to. Attorney General
Gray though deserving Of praise in the
disposition he has evinced to punish
offenders no matter what the crime may
bs with which they are charged, would
be entitled to the highest sncomiums
which could be lavished upon him II
he would bring these large offenders ia
justice and visit upon them the punish
ment that falls upon the shoulders Of
the poor boot-black "Gus" O'Donnell,
who had no other motive in view than
to make a little money in quicker and
easier manner than by blacking boots
at five cents pair. But even the con-
viction of "Gus" must b. taken q, an
evidence Of the disposition Of the Court
to punish illegal voters, no matter to
what party they belong, and in the
light Of such evidence there is no cal
culating the good effects 1t must have
upon future elections in this city.