Smyrna times., 1894-11-07
The Disfranchlsed Voters.

When we went to press last week |
the argument had been made by Mr.. |
Nields for a peremptory mandamus |
ordering the stricken names restored |
to the registration list. The opinion |
of several of the ablest lawyers of the !
Wilmington bar who took in the graV-
ity of the case and the argument for
the right of franchise on the basis of
law and the constitution, expressed
themselves as certain the mandamus
would be granted, and we announced
this probability. But it proved not to
be correct the court did not consider
the violation of law, but simply juris-
diction, giving the Registration Board
more power in constituting law and
status of individuals than the Superior
Court.
Chief Justice Lore is represented as
saying off the bench that those names
ought not to have come off, but the
court had no power to remedy it. The
statement has been made that the courts
in this State have never rendered non
partisan verdict in any case brought
before them. The disfranchised men
had nothing to do but swallow their
indignation. The following press com
ments will show how the decision of
the court is viewed:
FROM THE DELAWAREAN.
Several Of the Boards of Registration
last >aturday struck from the lists of
voters at the appros ching election the
names of the delinQuents for 1892. who
in accordance with the provisions of
! the special act Of the Legislature, paid
| their 1892 taxes in May 1898. The
case was taken to the Superior Court
and a peremptOry writ of mandamus
prayed for to compel the Boards of
| Registration to restore the names. The
| Court refused the prayed for writ on
| the ground that "the established rules
and principles of law which govern the
Courts in granting or refusing relief by
mandamus will not permit this Court
to award the peremptOry writ prayed
for.
The decision of the Court, of course,
ends the matter. The Court does not
express any opinion as to the action of
the Boards or as to validity of the 1892
taxes; it only decides it cannot grant
the mandamus. While we thought,
and still think, the names ought not to
have been struck from the lists, yet we
believe the Court was uninflueuced by
any partisan bias in deciding that it
could not restore them by peremptory
mandamus.
We think it mistake to have struck
the names from the lists; yet the doing
of it is not an issue in this campaign
as the Republicans pretend.
FROM TUE sENTTNET
The corrupt, debased scOundrels who
organized the scheme to steal the elec
ton, aided by a weak court have sue
ceeded in cheating the.Republicans oul
of about one hundred votes. 1t is ar
rant robbery and theft, but we car
stand it. 1t is not pleasant to have
ones pocket picked Of even dollar
but with a comfortable bank balance
the stolen dollar is not enough to cry
over. So with this hundred votes.
, FROM THE MORNING NEWS.
According to the statute which de
fines the duties and the powers of the
registration officers the action 0
the registrars is final, aud no appea
can be taken from their decisions
not even to the Superior Court
1t is obvious, therefore, that tn
, statute is one which should b.
: wiped from the statute books or 81
amended as to give voters who are un
fairly treated some redress in the highe
> courts. The ease with which abOu
one hundred men in Kent county wer
DISTINGUISHED should impress upon righ
minded Democrats the necessity 70
bringing about change in the Law
which permits such outrageous thing
. to be done in the name of Democrati
politics. The Kent county affair wa
outrageous. and the registrars hav
! struck blow at the undisputed right
of qualified voters. The frs
: citizens (Bayard, Gray, &c. would no
have done what the Kent count,
registrars did, but they are willing t
reap the advantage which they expeC
will result so far as they are PERSONAL
i concerned. We do not want an
= Kaneism or Maynardism in Delaware
We have enough to bear, under the in
t famous assessment and collection an
d election laws. 1t 1t time for the homes
- men of the State to rise in their nigh
d and stamp with their disapprOval an
e scheme which has in view the disfran
;. chisement of voters, even though it b
; done under cover of law.
= FROM THE DAILY REPUBLICAN.
r 1t is pretty thing indeed that ther
q is no judicial power to restrain or con
a pei our election officers to act squarely
= and that the franchise of our citizer
-e depends on the caprice of politics
"a scoundrels who acknowledge no la,
- but expediency and are ready to stOO
d to any outrage to insure a party VII
At tory. Verify, have we fallen on ev
4 times, as there seems to be no way [
n escape from the clutches of men wh
Il have fastened their hands around th
n offices of our State, except thrOug
a. revolution or by convention il tn
70 elections are to be carried by the ru
,e ings of registrars or election officers.
es Brenford
~ GUNNERS EXPERIENCE-RAID OF
rt CHICKEN THIEVEs-PERsONAL