Delaware gazette and state journal. (Wilmington, Del.) 1883-1902, 1891-12-03
Shall Mob Law PrevaiIe

llDut VI tub lGllOWS OutSlut llb VIII
dow TO run the election--provided they
run it in the interest of the Republican
party. 1t continues to contend that any
Republican who considers himself
aggrieved by Democratic inspector has
the right TO block the window; to swear
that no mans vote shall be taken till
the inspector does his bidding, to buster
and swagger and threaten and, finally,
to climb into the window with a gang
of his fellows, drive out the inspector
and take forcible possession of the yot
ing room. And, while all this is
going on, officers of the law and
such others as are not actively engaged
in the riot should at leasteiye the rioters
passive announcement by ignoring the
inspectors lawful commands or taking
cognizance of the same only to sheer
and jeerl In fact, before Democratic
inspector can come into court, accord.
ing to the Morning Ne,os, he must estab.
fish to the satisfaction of the Jury that
he did nothing whatever to rile any Re.
publican bully or heller.
OF course this is a mere matter of par.
tisanship with the Ne,cs--"our party.
right or wrong'-and would not hold
good were the politics of the contestants
reversed. Had the affrav Of last July
occurred in Democratic precinct and n
Republican INSPECTOR of elections been
the aggrieved party. the case would
have been vastly different. No Demo.
cratic precinct has. within our recollec-
ton, been the theatre Of such A flaprant
defiant and outrageous ebullition of
mob law as was enacted in this Fifth
ward election district on the afternoon
of the last city election. The "bloodv
Tenth" as it used to be called in it's
worst days never Matched such a riot.
But, suppose the conditions had been
reversed. Suppose Renublican
inspector in charge of the polls and a
noisy and turbulent crowd of demo.
Gratis outside, with three or four Demo.
cratic policemen louneing listlesslv in
the background. SUPPOSE Democratic
voter presenting himself at the window
with a tax receipt which. on being
challenged the inspector decided IL re'
tain in his possession. Suppose Mt this
point the friends of this applicant should
present themselves at the window hats
in hand, and, after courteouslv begeinu
pardon for the intrusion and assnrinr
the inspector of their pacific intent
should deferentially insinuate them.
selves into the room-but we are RIM.
ming off the track. we are following
the Ne,cs instead of tbe test;p,onv
Suppose-to get back TO the evi.
dence before the iurv-tbat Tho
applicant whose recent, had bcen
retained and whose vote had been re-
fused. should block M tho window ana
declare yociferously and tbreateninrlv
that he would be damned if another vote
should be taken mill he got his recein,
back. Suppose his hackers shonld floel,
around him, bowling and threa,ening
that somebody would he killed If ,ba,
receipt were not given nm. Sunnose The
, Republican INSPECTOR after vainlv com.
manding and apnealinp to the rioters N
/, clear the window and restore ordar
should call IN those Donocr.,;o ,,,lioa
+ men to preserve the neoce and he an.
swered only bv contemntuons siIonce
> or insulting refusals. Sunnosc vieldino
/, to the intimidation of the bowiing NM
: : threatening mob backed nm NV tho more
. or less overt encouraqement =,
e the Democratic nolicemen this "a
r publican insnector shou,d 6noIl,
c surrender the contiscated raco;,,t any
: that. notwithstandinr snch s,,rran1ar
q the mob should continue N hlnst.r n
e threaten and block the nolls for ~ IN,
: thereafterand finally nroceod n. olo,,,ho,
/ into the window-not deferantiail,, NJ,
4 in hand. and BEGGING nardon f9r IN,
a intrusion--but elamoronslv onrras
!, sivelv with threatening words ond 5.a.,
8 nree forcinr tho oloot;r,, ,,,,,o., -, -,
! safety in Immediate f;rbt I'M H. 81
!, nnbl,can challengor - loan 49,, :
i second.storv window nj the risl, ~ u;
4 life Would the Uorn;no W.T. ,naa
@ sucb conditions iuatifv tbot Don,, c, =,
!, mob and chamnion tbo MINI N ~,
= rioters "a RIM ~ oIaa,iaa
n 1891 u
!, OF course il would -, !
!. would hear and nro,orly o.
/. IN This ,nnnit 49, ba arda,J,. IA.