Delaware gazette and state journal. (Wilmington, Del.) 1883-1902, 1894-11-29

election, and styles the conrss of this
paper 'latter day repentance"
For years EVERY EVENING has de.
nounced the purchase Of votes at cleo.
lions in the follower counties. Six years
ago, whom the result of the last thousand
dollars thrown into the Republican cor
ruption fund outwelghed the Democratic
purchase money and aided by Demo
cratic dissension, carried Sussex county
for the Republicans, EVERY EVENING
sent special correspondent all over the
counties OF Kent and Sussex, and in
vestigated the evil to the very bottom.
This investigation was not confined to
the operations of the Republican cor.
ruptionists. Itshowed up the practices
of the Democratic dealers in votes. 1t
gave extracts from the official list of
Democratic "iioatersn in Sussex. and
showed how the Democratic buyers of
Kent gave the venal voters pasteboard
checks that were subsequently redeemed
in cash. The whole disgusting story
was given in detail, with tho hope that
it would stir public sentiment and result
in the enactment of measures designed
to crush out the great evil. The Legis-
lature that sat in Dover the following
winter was Democratic in one branch
and Republican in the other, but neither
party presented a measure designed to
stop the traffic in suffrage. Both had
been tainted with the crime, and each
no doubt hoped to profit by the corrupt
practice at future elections.
It is doubtless incomprehensible to
paper of the stripe and deep partisan
bias of the News that EVERY EvENISG
should be sincerely and deyotedly in
favor of reform in the conduct of
elections in this State 1t cannot under
stand how this paper can condemn the
purchase of suffrage and the sale of a
Senatorship to political adventurcr by
the Republicans, and at the same time
condemn the partisan injustice of the
Democratic majority of the Sussex
county Levy Court. But EVERY EVEN.
ING has done both of these things
because it conceived it to be right to do
SO, and not merely expedent To battle
for the right, regardless of how it may
affect the interests of parties and parti-
sans, is something that hide-bound
party organ like the Ne,cs cannot under.
stand.
During the recent campaign, when
EVERY EVENING showed how the adj
venturer, Addicks, was pouring out
large sums of money for the corruption
of venal voters in Kent and Sussex
counties, and charged that his object
was the purchase Of the United States
Senatorship, the Nous had no words of
protest. 1t was willing that Addicks
should spend his money in the interest
of the Republican party. 1t went even
further, and was willing that he should
have the office he had purchased from
the Republican party, and paid for. 1t
was among the first Republican papers
after the election to allow the use of
their columns for an endorsement Of
the Senatorial claims Of the great cor.
ruptionlst. Not until public sentiment
was aroused by the course of EVERY
EVENING did it perceive that it might
lose prestige by its shameless advocacy
of the cause of the boldest political ma
, nipulator ever known in Delaware, and
then it turned about face and gave a
half-hearted support to Senator Higgins
But at heart it is still what it was three
weeks ago, an organ of Addicks.
We repeat that it is impossible for q
paper of the stripe of the Norning Mems
to comprehend EVERY EVENINGS sin
cere and consistent opposition to cor
ruption at elections. But the fight will
; go on. The elimination of the crimt
against suffrage has been reached in thu
attempt to sell the office Of UnitcC
States Senator in return for contribu
: lions to the Republican party, and al
aroused public sentiment now calls
halt. The cry is not that Republican,
only shall cease corrupting the suffrage
but that Democrats shall stop the de
) grading practice, as we'll. Reform
radical and thorough, is demanded, an,
we believe that the awakened conscience
of the people of Delaware, stirred as i
never has been before, will create de
mand for a change that cannot be dis
/, regarded by our legislators.