Daily Republican., 1879-10-07
Tho Evans Libel Suits.

ceeded in having Mr.. Henry Evans sne
righttully elected Councilman from the
Fifth Ward, arrested on several wri's
of ,;hs, and As we are told that there
are still more to follow, 1t would DO
in order to ask, what are they going 70
do about it? OF course it is fair to pre-
sume that the leaders of the Democracy
are at the head Of the prosecution,
which is only carried on to break the
force of their own frauds. 1t is not
likely that DR.. John P. Malcolm, Ed
ward Haines, Edmund Beeson, W. 5.
Hopton and Simon schoeptsr, the five
gentlemen who now say that their
characters have suffered by the publ
cation Of their names amongst number
Of illegal voters, as having themselves
voted illegally would have ever thought
of entering prosecution against Mr..
Evans, had they not been encouraged
to do so by the same men who planned
the Wholesale frauds by which the City
Was carried for what is called the Dem.
ocracy. 1t is very easy for any body to
sue out writ of libel but it is more
difficult 70 prove one and obtain dam
ages before an intelligent court and
jury. The whole country is full OF Ii
bel suits, and 1t is bu: seldom that ever
damages worth mentioning are OBJ
tanned, simply because the par
ties who bring the suits fail to prove
a malicious intent to injure. Any well
read lawyer will tell the parties who
are bringing these suits that they must
prove righteousness and an intent to
;njure in business or to malign the
character, before they can obtain dam
ages. All who know Mr.. Evans know
that he is man above doing anything
like that.
Now, what are the circumstances
which have led to these prosecutions !
An election is held for councilman in
the Fifth Ward. Mr.. Evans is a Re-
publican candidate for election and his
opponent is Mr.. James Carmichael
Roth are we'll known and and respecta-
ble citizens. The Fifth ward as is we'll
known has been one of the Republican
strongholds Of the city, capable Of CIV
ing when everybody is assessed that
should be assessed, from two hundred
to two hundred and fifty Republican
majority, and even now without the
voting of repsaters and in perfectly
fair election is capable ofgiving from fifty
to one hundred Republican majority
The election is held ana by the aid OF Ia
larp. number OF Democratic tickets
known to have been voted principally
by repeaters, Mr.. Carmichael is re-
turned elected by only six majority. 1t
is we'll known that "Brockey Tom,
"Gus'' O'Donnell and "Bill' Miller
voted twice each at the western district
polls of the Fifth ward. These alone
would wipeiout Mr.. Carmichael's ma
iority Of six. We could also,if we were
so minded name over something like
dozen other repeaters who voted moi
only at these polls but at several othe'
polls in the city Besides these larg'
number voted on forged tax receipts
who had no right to vote whatever.-
Naturally Mr.. Evans felt aggrieved a
thus being defeated when he believed
tha. he was elected by good major
ity Of the legal voters of the ward. A
contest is commenced by Mr.. Evans
to secure the seat in City Council
which he believes he was defrauded
out Of by illegal votes. Counsel is EN-
rloyed land the legal forms and afidav
its made out. The assessments ano
error lists at New Castle since the yeal
1876 are examined, perhaps not so care
fully as they should have been, and
the names Of a large number OF per
sons who voted at the late election we're
found not to be on the assessment
books or on the tax collectors dupli-
Gates, but we're found on the returned
error lists. Amongst these it is alleged
were the names Of the persons who
have brought suit against MIR. Evans
The latter when he had his.papers ant
protests prepared presented them t.
the City Council where they with thu
nam ss Of he persons alleged to have
voted illegally, were read publicly il
the Council. Reporters present re
ported the names in connection witt
the protest, and the.editors ofthe news
papers published them. They CANT
before the public by no desire or re
ques. Of Mr.. Evans and hence he cal
in no manner be blamed for making thu
matter public. What has since trans
pired is we'll known to our readers
After waiting about ten days since th'
publication of the names of the gentle
men who fesl aggrisved and are sueint
for their character; after the Democratic
leaders found thst there was no let VI
on the part of the Republicans but tina
they were determined not only to pun