Delaware gazette and state journal. (Wilmington, Del.) 1883-1902, 1894-11-29
DETAILS OF THE CORRUPTION
How the Fund for Buying
Votes Was Expended.
THE LAW RECKLESSLY VIOLATED
From So to $l25 Apiece Paid
for VoteSs
Documentary Evidence of the Republican
Corruption Discovered, and Now in the
Possession of the Chairman of the
Democratic County Committee - A
Shameful Story

Shameful Story
New York World, Nov. aj.
Senator Higgins had sent $4,000 from
Wilmington by George H. Hollis. 1t is
said that the Union League of Philadel-
phia sent $4,000 to Sussex. Altogether
Gncluding Addicks' contribution) there
was about S60,000 of Republican money
for election purposes within the limits
of Sussex county when the sun rose on
the morning Of November 9th. This
money was to be used in corrupting the
voters, to buy Democratic votes enough
to turn over the normal Democratic
majority to one for the Republican can
didates.
There are fifteen "hundreds" las the,
townships are called in Delaware) in
Sussex. Two of these "hundreds" con-
tain two voting places. Thus there are
seventeen voting districts. The "boodle"
was distributed according to the neces-
stiles of the Addicks men. Seven thou
sand dollars was retained in George
town hundred, the county seat, and
$1,000 went to Broad Greek hundred.
The remaining fifteen districts were.
treated to $4,000 each on an average.
When the polls opened the Addicks
emissaries were thoroughly prepared for
their work. There is q modification of
the Australian voting system in Della
ware. But law was detied as recklessly
in Sussex county at this election as it
ever was set at naught elsewhere. In
North West Fork hundred the voting
was in dwclling-house. No poll-list
was used. AddicLs workers accom-
panied the voters they had bought TO
the end and saw them mark their ballots
fright"
BALLOTS RULED HIGH.
In Georgetown the same thing pre-
vailed until William Ii. Boyce, a lawyer,
threatened to arrest the offenders. In
Georgetown the voting was in the an
cient Court House of the county. The
village green in front was thronged with
people. Voters openly dickered with
the "boodlers." There are about $50
voters in Georgetown. The $1,000 al
lotted was exhausted, and local Addicks
men made up another 81 900. This was
repaid by Addicks last week. An agree
ment was made with negro voters in the
county in advance. They were coralled
in their churches, in dwelling houses
and in barns. The price of negro votes,
it was prearranged, was to be $l5, of
which So was paid in advance. In some
of the hundreds the blacks were made
to stand up and take an oath that they
would vote as they promised. Then the
So was paid, which is all that most of
them have got Ignorant blacks were
told that if they failed to keep their
promise they would be shipped out of
the State to some indefinite spot where
slavery prevailed. The Addicks plan of
campaign was in all cases to make sure
of your victim before you pay him the
price of his infamy.
In Baltimore hundred, in addition to
there being no check list, the Addicks
workers ran their men into the booth
| and held up hand as a signal to
another outside that the voter had cast
an Addicks ballot.
In another voting district there was
remarkable occurrence. One Addicks
worker accompanied 10 voters to the
booth and saw that the right" ballot
was cast. Money flowed like water dur
ing the. day, and voters were bought
right and left.
When the polls were closed and the
vote was counted the men who handled
the Addlcks "boodle" went into booth
to count up the result of the days oper-
ations. They were perfectly open in
what they did and did not object to
Democratic inspector going with them.
The man who paid the corruption
money figured that seven Democrats
had been paid 500 each to act as work.
ers, and 1856 votes had been bought at
$35 vote.
DOCUMENTARY EVIDENCE.
When the arithme.ical calculations
were completed to the satisfaction of all
concerned the Addicks workers departed,
leaving behind the paper on which the
above figures were penncd. This docu-
mentary evidence is now in the posses
sion of the chairman OF the county
Democratic committee. In Georgetown
especial effort was made to buy Demo-
| crlts, and the success which followed
| was startling, although Gas Man Ad-
dicks cash was rained forth in showers.
As high rs $125 was paid for single
vote. A common price was $7S. The
poor negroes were compelled to put up
with small sums, but Democrats
farmers, men comparatively well-to-do,
as Sussex wealth goes-held out until
| they got 500 or more as the price of
their shame. Nothing could be done to
stem the torrent of corruption, and
Addiclss' "boodle" turned over the 500
Democratic majority in the county and
elected all the members of the Senate
and the members OF the House whom
he had put up.
The writer drove yesterday through
portion OF Sussex county. A number
of negroes were passed on the flat, sandy
roads. Each one wore some new article
of clothing or pair of spick-aud-span
boots--perhaps a hat-just from the
store. One old darkey was accompanied
by three boys, each of whom had on a
new piece of clothing.
"Them's Addicks' boots" exclaimed
the youth who drove the horse. "Them
uir is Addicks' hats" Or he changed
his descriptive scntentiousness to THAT
air is Addicks' shirt"
A portion only of the narrative of the
Addicks' raid on Delaware is told above.
Stabbed With Knife.
After the football game at Riverview