The Wilmingtonian., 1888-05-19
Will He be the Next Mayor

suited in the choice of Mr.. Dougherty, the
Chief OF Police. The disappointment of the
Norton men was very apparent on our streets
on Saturday night last, and found vent in
words of denunciation against both the tax
collectors, the police, Mayor Rhoads ana the
Dougherty following in general, and If the
threats mean anything there is strong
probability that the city government will
pass into the hands of the Republican party.
This disaffection of the Democrats has been
foreshadowed in these columns during the
weeks of this nomination campaign and if
the other party do not make a mistake and
nominate man who is in the hands of the
same element of their party there never was
better chance for the success Of the Re-
publcans than at this time. There is time
when men become independent of party ties
in city affairs, and if the signs mean any
thing now, quite large number of the
"yest pocket" voters will be on hand at the
polls on June 2d.
Our Registry law will do away with re-
peating and ballot box stuffing and the pos
siblity Of fair, honest ballot will be one
of the good results we have taken from
both sides of the question parts of the edi-
torials of the Morning Ne,Cs the Ecery EUsn-
ina and the Sunday Star and find that there
is not often SO much unanimity Of sentiment
in regard to the nominee of any party when
looked at through different political glasses
as you will see in the following which we
quote from the issues of the above named
papers in their respective issues following
the nomination of Chief Dougherty.
The Morning Netos says:
As to the candidate named by the Demo-
cratic party on Saturday as their candidate
for Mayor, john ]. Dougherty, he has been
condemned in advance as an unfit candidate
by the few thinking and responsible men of
his own party. Everybody knows that he
is distrusted by many quite as much on ac-
count of what he is as on account of what
he has done. So far as The Morning Nepa
is concerned, it will not assail him because
he is citizen of Irish birth and a member
of the Roman Catholic Church. This jour
nal believes that the simple facts of can
didate's nationality and religious faith are
proper matters for public information, as in
deed is every incident, good or bad, in the
personal career of man who seeks posi-
! tion of public trust at the hands of his fell
low citizens but when the plain facts are
given it does not regard it as justfiable to
make an argument on either his birth, for
| which he is not responsible, or on his reli-
gious faith, which is purely matter of
private reference. Mr.. Dougherty has made
a sufficient public record in the Office which
he now holds, and within the last year, to
require, and as we believe to secure, his de-
feat. He is evidently, in small way, alto
gether too ambitious and too INSCRIPTIONS
a man to be entrusted safely with any
further public power in Wilmington. He
has not permitted the law to restrain him in
the conduct of his canvass from doing any
thing that he wanted to do. We are not
speaking now of mere matters of propriety
and common deccncy, such as the beer
drinking scandal at police headquarters, but
of the literal and specific barriers of the law,
such as forbade in terms the participation
of the police at the Institute Hall Demo
cratic meeting. Every intercepting ega
barrier and restraint standing between Mr.
Dougherty aud the object of his ambition
has been trampled upon by him during ths
last few weeks with as little thought as i
the sanctions and obligations of the Law
were mere trifles. Such man lacks one o
the essential qualifications for position o
public trust, namely, respect for law,
The EOery EOening says:
, Il rests with the Republicans to take ad
vantage of this state of affairs by nominal
ing a candidate whom the Democrats wh
, stand ready to rebuke the methods whic
have placed Mr.. Dougherty on the trac
can conscientiously support. Will they b
, regardful enough of the best interests of on
people to measure up to this opportunity
1t is ,rdly necessary to say that nsinui
tions which have been made liz some qua
tors regarding influences which ale credite
by their discoveries with affecting Eos'
EUening'S coul Sc in this matter are all bosl
What Ecery ECening wants is the best May
10 we can get. We would have preferred tht
Q. this desirable candidate should also be
III good Democrat; but. since this has bet
10 made an impossibility, We can only tru
that the Republicans will give us the be
! man they have. Of the three Republics
ID candidates in the field, each has his elomen
it of strength and Of weakness, but unqut
I'd tionably the election of any one of the
en- would be preferable to permitting the mayo
i'd atty to fall into the hands of Chief Doug
erty.
wv 1t is unfortunate that this issue shou
on confront the responsible voters Of Wilmir
he ton at a contest which will Immediately p
he cede the assembling of the national conve
Tn ton at ST. Louis, since the probable res
or; of municipal election dependent upon
'as purely local question of the respective