Delaware gazette and state journal. (Wilmington, Del.) 1883-1902, 1891-06-11

gress of an election than that witnessed
by hundreds of people at the Eighth
and Franklin streets polls on Saturday
has not been seen in this city since the
military elections of 20 years ago. The
Tenth ward used to have pretty hard
name on election day, but, as was fire.
quently remarked on Saturday after
noon Eve never saw anything APP
preaching this in the Tenth ward" A
gang Of negroes, manipulated by white
leaders, after ohstructlng the progress of
the election and carrying on as they
pleased outside of the polls for hours,
finally took possession Of the room in
which the election was being held, drove
ont the election officers and broke up the
election and carried on medley Of I'M
checked lawlessness. White men, if they
were Democrats, had no show at all.
The negroes, under the captairship of
few white Republicans were running
things, and, so far as respect for law
and order went, the scene might have
been laid in interior Africa instead OF in
choice section Of the city of Will
mington. Appeals to the officers of the
law were useless. They were tried again
and again but in vain. The policemen
might have been allies of the law
breakers for all the good they did or
tried to do, II was an outrageous state
CT affairs; public scandal which the
lay AN &c he arJ
should unitedly oxert themselves from
now on to wipe out the disgrace Of.
We have plenty Of law to bring the
perpetrators of this mob violence to
Justice. Let it be enforced. If there
was ever need TO have the law put in
/ operation, strict, unyielding, relentless
! operation, it is now. If the law cannot
! deal with the ringleaders Of this Fifth
ward mob we may as we'll expunge it
from the statute books and reconcile
ourselves to the degeneration Of cleo
stions into a mere farce.
Looking over the law we find among
the offences explicitly made punishable
by fine and imprisonment the following
| enumerated The use Of force, threats,
menace or intimidation towards an cleo
ton officer; the attempt, by such means
or otherwise, to compel or induce cleo
ton officers to receive the vote of any
person not legally qualified; interfering
with, delaying or hindering any cleo
ton officer in the discharge of his duty;
the putting of ballot in the box by
any person other than the inspector;
wilful disobedience of the lawful com
mand Of any inspector Of elections; dis
orderly violence or threats Of violence
whereby the lawful proceeding of the
election is interfered with; all these and
other breaches of the law were com
mitted hagrantly and defantly, and all
these breaches of the law are made pun
ishable by imprisonment in the county
Jail fol not more than two years or by a
fine Of not more than 5000, Of both;
and, If the law is to he indicated, the
time has come to make some examples
Of its power and 10 exact the full
penalty for the most scandalous viola
liOus thereof,
Is law or is mob violence to dominate
elections in the Fifth ward? Now is
the time to settle this question Bring
the men who INSTRUCTED the election 10
justice. Bring the man who put his
own ballot in the box to justice. Bring
the men who threatened the election
officers to justice. Bring the men who
, inundated qualified voters to justice
!, Bring the men who forced their way
into the room and drove ont the election
officers to justice. Bring the policemen
: who refused to protect the election Off
GERS to justice. And, if the election
! officers have disobeyed the law ant
t abused their authority bring them L
t justice. There is plenty of Law 10
/ them too and if they have violated any
I law-which we do not find more than
merely insinuated-they are amply re
sponsible and liable therefor, and sucl
Z men as Cotton and Mitchell know it am
( know, too, that they have their remed,
4 in the law and not in the Inauguration
n of mob law at the hands OF gang Of il
! responsible negroes,
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