Delaware state journal. [volume] (Wilmington, Del.) 1870-1883, 1880-12-30
FHxINsELlE PREss.
Editorial Extracts From Delaware
and ERsIern shore Exchanuas

and Eastern shore Exchanges.
The Dover Sentinel says that Judge
Houston consented to give up the contest
for Col. Martins seat because of the re-
peated desires that he should not leave the
bench, as he realized he must do after the
4th of next March If he continued the COP
test Another thing, the next House will
have working Republican majority, and
another Republican member would be OF
no importance, while the State could Ill
afford to lose the services of competer:
and upright judge. Judge Houston's
friends" says the Sentinel, would have
consented to his resignation, provided any
reasonable assurances could have been had
that proper man and competent lawyer,
even though of different political views,
would be appointed; but thsy feared the
intrigues of the Ring, which Just now runs
the Democratic machine, would desecrate
the bench by the appointment of a partisan
and solely In their interest. The risk OF
this was great in ths judgment of many
The Delaloageda says: ave are very
sorry that the Judge, whose habits OF inves-
tigstion are such as to have led him to
oriticise documents of legal nature
IN the light of judicial inquiry, should
count or spec fication of which was inca.
pable of substsntiation. We vans no bet
ter proof Of the unreliability of the state
lnents than the fact OF Judge Houstons
retirscy from the contest. We have
Understood that this step was the spou.
taneous act of Houston biustlf he saw
The position in which he bad placed hun
self by listening to the counsels of desper
I'D -s,lI "a
get out of il the best way he could"
The Dellware Lquirer (8tpublican-
independently Gays: 1--WE trust it will
end the bitterness engendered by the
Judges candidacy and subst queut noufi-
cation of contest He doubtless recognized
the fact that VI he persisted in the contest
be would lose the confidence OF large
class of his fellow-ciiizens in the discharge
of his Judicial duties and, being Just
judge, Of course he couldn't afford to plnee
himself in such IA position"
The Milford NeDS Independent Repub-
licaD) says that although Republicans
| know that outrageous frauds were perpe-
trated and may believe that Judge Houston
would have won in fair election, yet
they would not have consented that M
Martin should be deprived of his seat,
| where there was so much doubt il
thinks likely that the Judge, yielding to
| the solicitations of members of the State
Central Committee more energetic then
prudent, consented to make the contest
without even reading tne paper COM
uniting him to it, ard now, seeing the
folis of his course or his advisers failing
to back him in it, lie witbdraws. The
Neios goes Oh to say that The Democrats
have made Just as foolish misteke il,
their announced attempt to impeaoh Judge
Houston, on the grounds they have
selected, as the Judge did in ring into
the contest, and concludes with In
our opinion, there are only two counts
upon which the Republicans could have
made any showing. They are, that
Republicans were deprived Of the right VI
franchise through the assessment laws
manipulated by Democratic officials, aud
that Democrats voted on illegal tax tt-
ceipts. These are crying evils aud SHOULD
be remedied. But there is good bit of
political dishonesty in Republicans claim.
lIg that Democrats used bribery to pro-
cure votes and in Democrats throwing
back the charg. Both parties bought ali
the votes their money would procure, aud
this is no GROUND on which to make the
contest. This whole thing is much Ike
childs play"
The Milford Chronicle lind think,
that having entered npnu the contest
Judge Houston should have seen i
thronph His "iudicial pr,,d,.,c,. fo,, y,,li,
the s9pposltion that the facis were made
quite to prove the charges.
is hoped that no threat of impeachmen
or other opposition has had any il ildeLc,
in deciding Mr. Hous,on IN ri. q, :,
Every instinct of m.nbood d.mnnd.d ,b.,
such a contest should be und.rtnkru No.,
after the most careful consideration I'm
once begun no fear of personal disco, "a,
seems excuse edequ..te for rnising n,
siege" Besides th.' ID mocrntic ,,a,,s.,
have ripht to A more hornrahl- pc,,,,,,,.
of the CHARGES pr,ferr,d An nv, sti.,,
tion would have exhibited in a oil w.,
light nov updemner4tie ~ our ~
Democratic assessment law and t.y
produced strong arpuinen1 for nhnl,.lln.
punishment To The r.c,iv.r of a brt,.
whereby witness MIGHT he bsa syai,',, H..
more guilty MAYER of a br,h. y ,rbo,
comes a speeimen of the mo.t i,y,,',g.,
sophistry yet, thus: Some friends 70
Judge Houston assure Us that the nee DIS o
the people have not beeu forgntt-n b,
him in ths settlement OF this case, Lu
that these much needed reforms are 10 T.,
giauted by the ruling party and that ia,
withdrawal of the contest was eumpr1
Mise measure In the Interests Of III,
people"
The BFtdSirater Init (Rep SAYS
We are really gratitt d to i, arm th,.
Judge Houston has Withdrawn tns ccnt,.
with Congressman Martin. We neve