Delaware state journal. [volume] (Wilmington, Del.) 1870-1883, 1881-02-10
willing to yield the constitutional sovereignty,

|
under the laws of the State, and therefore
they should protest against all attempts at
federal encroachment upon their laws, their
institutions or their hitherto undisputed right
to manage their own aifairs-under our re-
publican government-as to them may seem
most conducive to the peace, the happiness
and the prosperity Of the State.
LOOSE MANNER IN WHICH NEGROES REGARD
MARRIAGE.
| While in the pursuance of its duties, the
grand jury has observed that there is grow
ing tendency on the part of negroes to disre-
| gard all the obligations of marriage, AZ de-
| fined by law and custom, and in their hi bits
to resemble more nearly the brute creation
than human beings Cases are numerous in
the grand jury room, where parties under ex-
animation admit these habits and look upon
| them MS matters of course with the race
| This unlawful and indscrimnate cohabitaton
affords suggestive theme for moralists
especially in view of the fact that these
| people have been endowed with the right to
exercise unqualified citizenship and are re-
| Bhfded by many persons as heirs presumptive
OF political power. 1t il not the most direct
nor safe method of establishing governments
| aud purifying the body polite of its minor
defects and frailties, but the investiture OF
these privileges has been decreed to them,
| and therefore the grand jury deems it neces-
sary to refer to the evil and recommend that
Wholesale indulgence thereof in future.
coRRuPTING TIE ELECTIONS.
The grand jury would fail in most
important part of its duty were it not to call
attention to the recently introduced practice
OF corrupting our elections by an unlawful
and dangerous use of money. II in not at
tempted to be denied that the purchase OF
votes was n leading feature of the late can
vass. The voice of the people was, to some
I.,t
and the political preferences of many who
could not resist the influences OF such an
agency We're compelled to do the bidding OF
those i'll whose control they found themselves
for the time. If the poor the laborer and
mechanic, who depend on their daily toll for
the sustenance OF their families-are to be
thus oyerborne by the power of money. and
forced against their will to sell their princi-
pies, which, as matters of conscien-
tiou5 conviction are the natural heri-
tage of American citizens. then are we,
indeed, walking away from the political
landmarks Of the past and unless a whole
some public opinion shall speedily make itself
heard and felt III denuneiation of the corrupt
ing habit, our votes may well be deposited
| Ill the ballot boxes by machinery, erected i'll
the counting rooms and offices of aristocratic
wealth. and our election laws be erased from
| the records If the practice were confined
| only to the illiterate and lower stratum of
Z,
we hear of men high in public position.
strong in social circles, and foremost as leaders
| in religious work, aiding and encouraging it,
We may well stand aghNst with apprehension
'for if the fountain be corrupt how shall the
| stream be pure?"
| When the control of our elections by the
use of money shall become the rule, the
| freedom of the elective franchise will be at an
end the secrecy of the ballot will be farce.
and instead of the popular will being
supreme, the hand of gilded power
will become-not indeed our chosen
ruler but our imperial MASTER Truly we will
have fallen upon evil times when the people
of our commonwealth under the pressure OF
| gold shall become merchandise in the political
market and there shall be no legal arm
extended strong enough to avert the danag-
ing evils it will lnilict upon our boosted system
OF government ''of the people, by the people
| and for the people," Impressed with these
facts, the grand jury earnestly recommends
that the legal remedies for this alarming evil,
as found i'll chapter, 16, page 1903. Revised
| Code, and more particularly in section ~ OF
said chapter, be vigorously enforced in every
case of conviction and that all magistrates
and officers of the law be enioined to be vigi.
liant in detecting and bringing to trial and
punishment all persons guilty of the ofTense.
NEWSPAPER CRITICISMS.
1t is becoming of frequent occurrence to
l
drawing iuors. Some of these articles charge
the sworn officers whose duty it is to draw
| junes with so manipulating the ballots as to
produce certain political results. and it has
even been intimated that the bench is some
time' influenced by partisan predictions.
These charges, II true, disclose the existence
of a perversion of official duty, which should
at once be exposed and corrected. If they are
| not true their publication inlcts most I'M
unsuitable injury upon the officers which
| should not be permitted to pass without
rebuke, if not punishment. But whether true
| or false If they are allowed to go uunoticed
they will eventually and certainly lessen
public confidence i'll our courts of
justice. This should not be, for
nowhere is the Bench supposed
to be more deeply seated in popular
esteem than. in Delaware. The judicial
opinions and decisions of our little state
have been respected and accepted as final by
the bar, almost without exception. Our
people have been taught, by the untarnished
integrity of the Bench, to give not only their
ready obedience but also their moral support
to the ministers of justice, and i'll all things
to uphold the majesty of the law. 1t is abso-
lutely essential to good order aud the faithful
administration of justice that this state of
feeling should continue unimpaired and that
the people shall not improperly be disturbed
i'll the high regard and trusting reliance which
they have always placed upon the judicial
character of our State. The grand jury
therefore, recommends that in all such cases
hereafter the publisher of the paper be citeu
to appear i'll court and show cause for their
publication. to the eud that all parties inter
ested in the trials and decisions of our courts
may be satisfied, and truth vindicated.
Simple justice requires this, and the people
| have right to demand it.
JUNK SHOP DEALERS.
The grand jury would call the attention of
the Court to the fact that the facility afforded
| to thieves by keepers of Junk shops and other
similar places, for the disposition of their
plunder,is becoming SO easy and inviting that
| it encourages great deal of theft that would
not be committed were the opportunities for
| turning the stolen goods into money less ceI-
! tain. We therefore present the fact to the
cunrt, for the pursose Of informing these
stolen goods merchants that they render
| Themselves liable to arrest and punishment,
for their neglect Of caution IN purchasing
| articles which they know, or might easily
| know were stolen. Gases have been before
| the grand jury in which it became almost self
evident that goods purchased were illegally
obtained, and the purchasing party were cog
INFANT of the fact As a rule. junk shops are
not essential to the mercantile or moral
| health of the community but, on the CON
| trary, are very damaging to the proper for
nation of character of many of the youth
and older persons by whom they are visited
| as customers.
RLAspHEAIY.
L The incisive and well-timed declarations of
/ the Honorable the Chief Justice, iii his ill.,
structive charge, delivered ut the opening of
/ this court, upon blaspheny, has set in motion
Il train OF thought that will arouse this COM
munity to Il sense OF the great wrong done to
the Christian religion, by the public toler-
alicc of any pGripetc iniidel-however elo-
quent or fluent lac may be-in his efforts to
scOf at holy things, and deride the name and
character of God, whom the people adore
4 and worship.
The audacity with which the notorious
blasphemer, known us Robert G. Ingersoll,
recently announced his purpose to lecture in
this city, on lnhdcty, has no parallel in the
habits OF respectable gagabondism. Practi-
cally lie therein proposes to DESTROY the
sanctity and comforting influences of the
sabbath, to undermine the assurances of
religion rests to spread broadcast among us
people happy iii the promises of the Bible,
blank fearful doubt :; to eXtinglIish every ray
of light that may Slide upon the trusting
Christians path of life, in death, even to
the souls eternal rest.
For the assurances of prompt and eXemp-
larry punishment which the honorable the
Court has expressed, III all such cases here
after, not only the grand Jury, but all Chris
tianS will give earnest thanks. And to the
end that this despiscd revilcr OF religion may
| not again deal out his lmpious rhetoric in our
city with impunity the grand jury recon-
mcnds that the city authorities be requested
to prevent his public appearance here, in
future, in tie character of -blasphemer
and reyiler of God and religion. Let him be