Delaware gazette and state journal. (Wilmington, Del.) 1883-1902, 1889-05-16

II 10 one OF the oontrarieties of practi-
cal politics that q Democratic governor
should have done in New York Monday
what Republican majority In the lower
house did in the Delaware Legislature
month ago--killed bill designed to give
the people honest elections. In our own
Legislature every Democratic member of
the House, save one, voted for the Aus
tralian system and every Republican,
save one, voted against it.
Governor Hill bases his veto of the
saxton bill on the ground that sit Ia In
herently defective, vicious and uncon.
stitutional." The Sun says the governor
is right and finds the veto highly praise
worthy. The World says the governor
has missed his one great and browning
opportunity; that he has painfully failed
to demonstrate that he is something
more than politician and party servant,
and that he has failed again to place
himself in line with the best sentiment
of his own party and has alienated some
friends whose good opinions might be
thought to be worth as much as the ser
vile offerings of the machine bosses. Tho
Herald says it is generally understood
the governor will not sign any measure
that will prove effective in preventing
fraud and corruption at the polls, and
that his constitutional objections will not
stand the test of criticism or examina-
ton. It is evident that the Democratic
metropolitan press 10 not pleased with
the veto.
But it will be of more interest to our
Republican "retormers," who sat down
with such unanimity upon the recent ef-
fort to break up vote buying and vote
selling OF Delaware elections, to read
what their leading party organ, the New
York Tribune, has to say on the veto:
There was no politics In this measure.
Its provisions bore equally upon all politi-
cal parties, Its cole object was to improve
the machinery OF elections, to stop, or, at
all events, sensibly to check, bribery and
corruption, and, by coming between candi-
dates and the bosses who plumber them by
means of the assessment levles, to render
1t possible for a poor man to run for Office.
This, In brief, is the bill which the gov
ernor In defiance OF PUBLIC opinion has
vetoed. II Is within bounds to assert that
no measure OF recent years has met with
such hearty approval from the great mass
OF reputable citizens, independent OF party
lines. The indignation at his action will
lie deep and widespread-and yet what
| better was to have baen expected of pea
nut politician and tool of the saloons7
Change peanut politician and tool
of the saloons" to occupants of pur-
chased Legislative Seats" and the fore
going extract is directly applicable,
almost word for word, to Delaware. Like
the Saxton bill, there was no politics in
the measure introduced in our General
Assembly. Like the Saxton bill, its pro-
visions bore equally on all political par
ties. Like the Sa1ton bill, Its
sole object was to improve the
machinery Of elections, to stop or senslbly
tc check bribery and corruption and to
render it possible for poor man to run
for Office. Like the 5a1ton bill, it met
with hearty approval from the great mass
of reputable citizens, independent OF
party lines-note for example the hearty
endorsement of the State Grange. Yet
the Australian ballot bill was killed in
the DtiaWAls ..-,..-..,...s ;. I.spa J..oen
votes. Its oppousr,y owed tnsii ma
iOrity to the use o. Doodle VI sulsyB
county and they would not go back on
the power that elected them.