Middletown transcript., 1894-02-10
SPECIAL coNsTABLEs.
The Washington Correspondent tothe
Philadelphia Press Gives Sena-

Philadelphia Press Gives Sena-
tor Gray's Attitude.
Mr.. Gray Of Delaware, probably comes
out, of this election debate in the worst
condition of any member of the Senate,
Mr.. Gray has had charge of the bill, and
his zeal in behalf of election frauds has led
MIN into some astonishing misstatement.
One particular point made against the laws
by Mr.. Gray was. as stated by himself,
.the fact that a section ofthe statute pro-
vides that the Marshals SO appointed may
with or without warrants anyone engaged
in violating the election laws" Mr.. Hoar
inquired of Mr. Gray whether or not the
constables in Delaware did not have'that
power now. Mr.. Gray replied: Il am thank
ful to say no" Mr.. Hoar remarked that it
was common law power in Massachusetts,.
Mr.. Gray replied II am thankful to say
that in that re spect we do not initiate Mas
sachusetts."
was the reason why there are changes from
Republicans as to the manner of the execu-
ton of the election laws in Delaware,
while in Massachusetts, no such complaints
were made by Democrats as to the election
in that State. To that remark Mr.. Gray
replied that 1--WE have never had any COM
plants about it" meaning the election laws
in Delaware. This will give an idea of the
''candor' and fairness" ofthe senior Sena-
tor from Delaware.
Mr.. Chan dler, who has been thorn in
the flesh of the Democrats in this election
matter, was able afterward to quote law
passed by the Democratic legislature OF
Delaware and approved by the Democratic
Governor providing for the appointment of
constables at Wilmington, and giving them
exactly the same powers as are con ferred by
the federal statutes on United States Mar
shals in the way of making arrests at the
polls In other words, the Democratic
Legislature of Delaware took this section |
OF the federal statute and struck out the |
word marshals and inserted the word con- |
stables and'proyided for their appointment
without limit for use at the poll in Della |
ware, particularly in Wilmington, and |
giving them the same powers as the Gov |
ernment officials against whom MIR. Gray |
has been unable to find language severe |
enough in the way of denunciation. But |
not only this, it was shown that the con-
stables in Delaware, under the common |
law, have precisely the powers which Mr..
Hoar stated that the constables in Massa-
clusetts had.
When forced into the corner in this way |
Mr. Gray was obliged to confess he had for
gotten about this Delaware case and that |
he had quibbled as to the powers of con-
stables.
SHOWN TO BE WRONG.
But that was not all. Mr. Higgins took
up Mr.. Gray's statement that no complaint
had been made about tie Democratic elee- t
tions, and demonstrated in the clearest
manner possible that the elections in
Delaware had been the subject of constant
complaint, and that no body knew that
better than Mr.. Gray. Mr.. Higgins called
attention to the statute passed in Delaware
in 1873, after the enactment of the Fifteenth
Amendment, which statute was specially
designed to nullify that amendment Under
this statute, which related to taxation, the
Republicans in Delaware were practically
aisfranchised and almost ceased to make
nominations. In 1861 the Republicans OBJ
tained possession of this qualifying tax
>machinery in two of the counties of the
State. Then the Democratic Legisla
ture repealed the laws so as to escape from
the effect oftheir operations upon them
selves But when the Democrats secured
possession ofthis machinery in 1892 they
re-enacted the laws.
AsMr Higgins showed, when the statute
would operate against the Democrats, the
Democratic Legislature repealed them, and
when they became operative against the
Republicans, the Democratic Legislature
reanacted special law for the city of Viii
mington, and took away from the Repub-
licans any power to name any of the cleo
ton officers, but also the Republican cleo
ton officers. In this respect Delaware fol-
lowed the other Southern States, where the
nRepublicans are deprived of all representa-
utbe election machinery.
Rg these infamous laws, Mr..