Daily Republican., 1879-11-19
v1.~ suasc,ns enis.


Yesterday, on the charge of voting ille-
sslly at the election poll OF the Western
distr ct of the Fifth ward at the recent
city election, the great difficulty seemed
to be to prove his residence. Nearly all
the witnesses examined while they were
oujte sure in their own minds that
'sGus" did not live in the distric. though
there was possibility Of him living in
the district thirty days before the cleo
ton and they not know it, they could
MT tell where he did live. 1t was
proven that he said he had his home
all ovsr the city, also that he had a
better home at No. l03 Water street
than one of the witnesses who chal-
lspgsd his vote. In fact it was true
what Attorney General Gray said, that
ssGus" was wandering Arab" driv-
en- from post to pillar, picking up a
precarious livelihood here and there by
bl .cliyg shoes, sleeping in bar rooms,
empty hogsheads, water pipes and cars,
but the most of the time as shown by
the evidence sto opnipg at lo3 Eas, Water
street. "dus" failed to gst clear, not
vithstanding the difficulty to locate him.
Every body Knows him, he is seen every
where. An Agricultural Fair, horse
race or a camp.meeting within aity
miles OF Wilmington would be incom-
plete without the ubiquitous presence
of "Gusn and lis boot and shoe black
ing parapharnalia. he seems to beeSery
where and lives nowhere, but on
election day he claims Wilmington all
over for his home, and either votes or
attempts to vo.e at all the election polls
in it, aud to make sure that he has
done his full duty in this respect he
votes twice at several Of the polls
Voting on age, and for the first time he
isl grand success in that line, and il
he improves with years the time will
soon come when he could do the votini
for the whole city and black boots be
sides. Aside from this jocular view o
the case we would seriously ask why
"Gus'L," residence must be proven
There are plenty of witnesaes to Prov
that he voted early and often IS wei
as late but it is difficult to locate him
We are no lawyers, but common sens
would seem TO dictate to us that if i
was proven that he even voted twice
that would 10 sufficient to vitiate tho5
two votes and all the O; her votes tha
he cast, no mater where he belonged
1t was proven incidentally yesterday
that "Gus" voted in the First ward
and hat he attempted to yo'e in tn
Tenth ward, and if such evidenc
had been received 1t would have vitiate,
his vote in the western precinct Of tn
Fifth wari. The court, PERHAPS yel.
properly ruled out the evidence that b
voted in the First ward as entirel,
irrelevant to the Fifth ward case 70
which he was being tried. There wa
plenty Of eviieuce that "Gus" voted il
the Western district Of the Fifth Ward
but the evidence was not pointed tha
he did 10. live in that district.
The indictmeot under which "Gus'
was tried was drawn up by Ex.Attorne.
General Pennington or by his Deput.
Mr.. Robinson ard there is discov
cradle in it q milk and water weakness
about it that may rot have been inten
tional, but still that weakness is ap
parent. As we have already said w
are are no lawyers, but does it not loo}
as if al indictment might hy the exer
else of a little thought le framed tha
would cover more ground, give NOR
latitude, in short that would allow th
admission of evidence to show that
prisoner on trial for repeating had vo
ted at mere than one place at the sam
election. II this could be done, thel
there would be no use in proving any
residence fer if it was shown that J.,
person on trial Tor Illegal voting hac
voted twice that would vitiate al
his votes no matter where be lived. W.
must confess our conviction that thu
indictments under which true bills fol
illegal voting were found at the Sep
tember term, are very weak, in fac
so weak ii at they are more Of a shield
than thing to be feared by the guilty
As ali these indictments were prepared
an | true bills found at the septembe
term of Court, Of course Mr.. Gray ant
his Deputy, Cooper, are ia no way re
spons bic Tor the weakn ess of the indict
ments and rs it is expected that NOR
will be drawn up and sent to the Gram
Jury now Ia session, we hope that tn
mistakes Of the past may be proftabl
and salutsry lesson Tor the future.
PENNSYLVANIA looms up grandly o
next years election. The State t:cE 9
iii .h.n La com noSed of two candidate