The Wilmington daily Republican. (Wilmington, Del.) 1890-1902, 1894-10-22

tho liberty of the people Of to-day that
was secured to us by the great men of the
past, l want to known Applause.) A
| little of 1t has been done here in Will
| mington. We used to have the right to
| elect our election officers in every district
few years ago, but now this is given to
the Board of Elections. The old law had
an aspect Of fairness because 1t said that
the districts must be divided between the
two parties; but this Department of Elec-
| tions has promptly created odd districts in
every ward, and given the odd districts to
their own party, so that out OF sixty 1--we
districts in the town they have taken the
| twelve odd ones. They have taken that
advantage. And they have the naming Of
| all the members, both Republicans and
Democrats. We have to face all of that
unfairness; but as l said before we have
to leave the responsibility for the con-
ducr OF this business where 1t belongs.
There Is but one matter more on this line
with which l will detain you, and then /
Will go. The Democrats are congratulate
ing all who listen to them In all their
meetings that they have repealed the Fed
eral Force bill. Why do they not con-
gratulate the people of Delaware that they
nave repealed the State Force bill?
daughter and applause) For 1t was
enacted under the same terms and words
as the Federal law. They enacted that
law for the appointment Of state
constables, and l was under the
impression that they had repealed it
at the last Legislature, and so stated 1t on
the floor of the Senate but Mr.. Gray cor
rected me, and found he was right. /
learned upon Inquiry that 1t had passed
the Senate in the Legislature, but that in
the House 1t had slept the seep-shall 1
say OF the just or of the damned?
daughter and applause) 1t did not pass.
Now these gentlemen are saying to us, we
offered to divide the sherlffs officers and
We would appoint no constabes; but you
have puibbled about this thing and we are
going to take the law. Go on, gentlemen.
do not know what anybody else says, and
/ am speaking entirely without conversing
with any ono, but l will confide to this
company that l never saw the day when
there was any good of any kind in either
a deputy marshal or a special constable.
They are very good parties to draw pay
and now and then there is a capable man
among them. II there Is to be a peace
ofhcer among you, the man to bring is the
blue coat with the buttons and his baton.
There is nothing in special constables ex-
cept bribery and heelers. That is all
(applause) and I consider it a matter of
the least concern whether the sheriff has
deputies or not at the coming election So
far as that goes there will be peace pre-
served. There is good humor in this
community now.. Men are not standing at
long range from one another. 1t is like
the old civil struggles, the civil wars Of
Great Britain and the differences in
France. when. to use French expression,
The two sides are fraternized." There
are great many Democrats mixed with
the Republicans now. (applause) l warn
our Democratic brethern they do not know
their own mind. (Applause) Moreover,
the present law is an excellent one in
maintaining the peace. You have got to
keep thirty feet away from the polls; you
have as many as sixty-fve districts in the
city and not more than 800 voters to a
district. Every man goes in quietly and,
so to speak, secretly by himself and pre-
paras his ballot and there is no room for
the hustle and jostle and hustle that there
used to be. There Is no occasion for force
to either put in Illegal votes or to keep
them out There is no cause for any vio-
lence. That is all mere pretence, all Of 1t.
What we want is a free election (applause),
what we want is a fair election (applause).
what we want is that in this year of
grace, 1894, in this day Of dire ex-
tremity of the people of the United States
and in this hour OF distress
among our people. that they shall have a
fair. free, open chance to declare their
sovereign will. (Applause) This whole
policy or scheme of excluding legitimate
votes is not meant for Republicans alone.
or for Republicans chiefly; it is meant for
Democrats who choose to change. ZAP
Dlntisn Thera ic nj
it. How many of you people have been
pinched enough to let loose the bands of
party and change your party relatons2
How many of you have felt the pressure
and pinch In your homes, where your
wives have felt 1t and your children, as
to say: Il think that policy is wrong, and
that l owe 1t to myself, through my con-
science, to my family and to my country.
that shall vote the other way. (Applause)
Say these gentlemen: Yes, you think
can have the right to do this thing and
that 1t will amount to something; but you
do not ksow us. You have been a Demo-
crat, you have been accredited a Democrat.
and you can get q receipt and you can
vote to your hearts content a Republican
ticket, but 1t won't amount to anything
Why? because we have shut out so many
Republicans, by all these means making
1t difficult for them to pay their taxes and
by fraudulent manipulation Of election
boards through men appointed by us az
Republlcans-they are not chosen by your
party-that you can do that to your hearts
content and we will still keep a majority.
This thing is against the freedom of Demo-
Gratis more than it is against the freedom
of Republicans.
My fellow-citizens, you have q great
privilege and a great duty before you In
but few states OF this Union Is there as
large a measure of electoral power in the
hands Of the individual voter as are re-
posed In each one of the voting citizens Of
Delaware. The political power OF the indi-
vidual In Delaware is immense In propor-
tion to the size of the state. This is not
merely an election of n congressman, nor
merely an election of Legislature that
will choose a senator. but it is the slSir-
mish line OF The Presidential election Of
1896. (Applause) With the great differ
ences that becloud the future upon the
silver problem, 1t is among the possibil-
ties that the states west of the Missouri
river and the states of the South may
unite on a candidate for free silver and
that there may be three parties OF nearly
equal power two years hence to contest
for the Presidency. In that event the
election will be again thrown into the |
House Of Representatives and Of the con-
sttution as 1t was in 1928, when John
Quincy Adams was elected President, and
as 1t was when Mr.. Jefferson was elected
In 1901. II It were so thrown into the |
House, the vote Is taken. not by the mem |
bers Individually. but by states. and Della
ware counts In the roll OF states as great |
as the largest empire of the Union; and |
the member of Congress whom We may |
elect at this election will have the casting |
of vote Of the State Of Delaware in that |
great choice. Whether the seat that l |
have now the honor to occupy shall be |
held by Republican or a Democrat two |
years hence and IN the next term of it
4ha next dntarmi ubatba-