Delaware gazette and state journal. (Wilmington, Del.) 1883-1902, 1892-12-08
HIS STRANGE IGNORANCE.
Martin 3. Burrls Pleads Ignorance
of Facts Which Everyone Knew,


| Days Before Elections MIR. SauI.bury's
! Reply.
Martin b. Burris, chairman of the Re
| publican County Executive Committee
| published Il statement in the NGFS on
Saturday Cgiven below charging the
| responsibility of the appointment of
| special constables and its accompany.
! ing expense of $4,000 to the action Of
/ Chairman Willard salisbury Of the
| Democratic County Executive Commit
| tee.
lie says that it was not until two days
before election that we (the official
representatives of the two parties and
of the sheriff. got together.
Now, in the first place the full and
| complete agreement was published in the
| livery EvESISG of Friday, November
18th, signed by Martin B. Burris for the
Republican party, Mr.. salisbury for the
Democratic. party, and by sheriff Sim
mons, the closing terms of which agree
ment We're as follows;
| WILMINGTON, Del, Nov. 4th, iSg2.-We.
| the undersigned, have agreed to carry out
| the proposition contained in the foregoing
| letter of Willard salisbury, ,Ir., Chairman
OF the Democratic Executive Committee
| OF New Castle county, and will draw out
| our agreement more fully and publish the
same in the newspapers of Wilmington.
| The principle Of the agreement being hat
| two depnty sheriils appointed equally from
| the Democratic and Republican parties,
making altogether four officers 1T each
| polls, shall have paramount authority and
! that constAblrs and mnrshals shall MOI take
! part unnecessarily 50 long as said sheriifs
can keep the peace.
Signed WILLIAM SIMMONS, sheriff,
WILLARD SALISBURY, lR.,
| Chairman Dem. Tx. Com. of New Castle Co.
MARTIN II hUREIs,
Chairman of Rcpub. Co. Com, New Castle
| Go.
This was on Friday, November 4th,
four days before election, and its terms
were probably conceded in some appre-
ciable time and actually in principle
before the document appeared in ex.
tense before the public.
! In addition, the following morning
| there appeared, three days before cleo.
ton, Marshal Nluhuily's communication
in the AeWs referring to the 'tr-partitc
! agreement rs an accomplished fact,
and which the marshall in his letter,
| proceeded promptly 10 demolish.
The marshals letter caused il scnsa.
! tion all over town, as il, in set terms,
| inferred that Mr.. Burris had acted with
/ ont consulting the marshal
And yet III regard 10 this tri-partite
| agreement, which was pubic property
four days before election, Mr.. Burris
knew nothing of it until two DAYS before
election, and he adds that "thny did not
| meet until two days before eluction.n
MIR, HuRRIs STATEMENT
Mr. Burns statement as published
Saturday morning il as follows;
Al the meeting Of the two advisory CON.
mites of the state Central Committee of
the two great parties held at Dover during
| the campaign | proposed to Mr. Willard
| salisbury that ii our Democratic friends
would not appoint any special constablcs
! we would not appoint any deputy mar
shals. told him that we did not want To
| meet force with force at the election but
desired to have Il fair, quiet and honest
1 election.
Mr.. Sau sbury replied that the PROPOSE
| ton sounded like genuine Democratic doe
/ trlne and that such a proposition pleased
him, but lie wanted to confer With his PEG.
| Pie as the matter had not been discussed
| lilo promised to let me know the result of
the conference with his people and we
! made an appointment to meet. called at
the Office Of Mr., salisbury at the time
named, but he was busy and could not be
j l''lc' l'ulllE lllhI llilc We were Dbtll
busy and 1t was not until two days before
the election that we got together. Then
called nj Mr.. Saulshury's office and found
Sheriff simmons there. In lieu of the
proposition made at Dover by me Mr.
salisbury proposed that we should APP
4 point the deputy marshalS and that they
should appoint the special cnnstubles, but
that the sheriff should appoint two deputy
shcrllts for each polling place. These
sherilis were to be appointed one from
each party and were to stand at the en-
trance 10 the polls and keep order The
special CunStablcs and deputy marshals
we're to DE Kept away from the immediate
vicinity Of the polls and We're not To be
called upon unless in case of absolute
necessity Or ia ease the agreement was
openly violated.
| reverted to my original proposition
made at Dover and told him that would
ike to sec the plan adopted, Mr.. Sauls-
bury replied
! would Ike to do ii myself, but to be
frank with you it seems that or people
are now lGtcrmnGdtU have the special con.
stables, and this proposition seems to be
the easiest solution OF the matter.
Tile remainder Of the story is known to
alI. simply desire 10 have the public un-
dcrstarl who was repOnSiblc Tor the an.
ponIment of the special cunstableg.
Mr.. salisbury was seen BY n repre-
sentative Of 1'HE GAZETTE at his Office
saturday morning. He spoke as fol-
lows on the subicct
WHAT MIR. SALISBURY SAYS.
The statement Of Martin B. Burris, az
published in the Wormag Ncws ON
Saturday, was shown to MI. salisbury.
who stated that probably Mr.. Buriis
did not Intentionally VISA 10 mlsrcprc-
l,,f {,