Delaware gazette and state journal. (Wilmington, Del.) 1883-1902, 1895-02-14


committee rooms in excess of the number
or in violation of the other conditions pre-.
scribel by the act payments to electors
for tho exhibition Of placatds We have
now TO deal with expenditure which Is
unlawful irrespective Of Nv amount, being
regarded by the law az necessarily and
under all circumstances corrupt and
demoral2ing tendency.
BRIBERY.
Bribery being corrupt practice, persons
guilty of it are subjected 10 severer penal
ties and disabilities than before But for
our present purpose 1t is sufficient to say
that bribery committed by tho candidate
or any agent voids the election,
TREATING.
Not only candidate who provides, but
any person who provides or accepts cor
rupt entertainment is guilty of treating
and subject to the disabilities and punish.
menis incident to corrupt practice.
Treating being corrupt practice is an
offence which il committed by the candi-
date or any agents voids the election.
CONVEYANCE OF VOTERS TO AND FROM THE
ROLL,
| (A.) Payments for conveyance Illegal
No payment or contract for payment may
be made before, during, or after the cleo
ton on account of the conveyance Of
electors to or from the poll, whether for
vi nOThHS UT CuTTIdbeS
railway fares or otherwise. knowingly
to make or receive such payment, or
become party to such contract. is an
illegal practice, which il committed by the
candidate, or any agent of the candidate,
may void the election.
The only exception allowed to this rule
Is the rare case in which at a county
election any resident electors are unable to
reach their polling place without crossing
the sea or All arm of the sea. Means for
conveying electors so situated by sea to
their polling PLACE may be provided at the
expense of the candidate.
AS 10 this exception, note
(a.) 1t applies only to county elections
and does not permit the conveyance of
Outvuters.
(b.) 1t only permits the hiring OF boats
or other sea vessels for the purpose of
carrying the voter from lis own shore to
the shore nearest the polling place. 1t
does not sanction the hiring of land
vehicles at either end, nor apparently the
hiring Of boats to convey the voter home
again after he has pulled
.tc.) The payment Oif any, must he in
cluded in the agents return of expenses
but will not be counted for the purpose Of
ascertaining whether the maximum
amount of expenditure allowed has been
exceeded
(B.) Loans of Carriages kept for Hire
lllegal-ln. order to prevent colourable
evasions OF the law, all persons who
Keep or Use carriages, horses, or other
animals for the purpose of letting them
out for hire'-i. G.. job masters, livery
stable keepers. cab and fly owners, &c.-
are expressly forbidden to "let. lend or
employ" any such vehicle or animal for
the purpose of the conveyance of electors
to or from the poll.
Nor may any person "hire, borrow. or
use for that purpose such vehicles or
animals. In other words the 9rdtuitoHS use,
on the polling day, for purposes OF con
veyance, of vehicles Or animals, ,0hirh are
oriitdfy iet for hire, is prohibited, and
both lender and borrower, if they act
knowingly, are guilty Of the offence of
illegal hiring.
If this offence is committed by the can
didatc, or by his election agent or by a
sub.agent in the polling district for which
he Is Silb-agent, it constitutes an Wcgdt
prdcijce, and as such may void the cleo
ton,
Co Legal modes of conveyance Ia
Any elector may hire vehicle or an
animal from a livery stable keeper, Sc.,)
at his own expense Tor the purpose of be.
ing himself conveyed TO or from the poll.
To- Several electors may Join in hiring
vehicle or animals at th, ir joint cost for
the purpose of being themselves so con-
yeyed
If TWO or more electors are going to the
poll in vehicle which they have Jointly
hired, they cannot safely give lift to a
friend who is also on his way TO vote, ex.
cept on condition that he share the cost of
the drive.
tc.) The owner of any vehicle or animal
which he does not Keep or Use for the pur-
pose of letting out for hire may lend such
carriage or horse grdtWtOSiy for the con
vevance of voters To the poll. In such case
neither lenders nor borrowers Will be
guilty OF any offence.
Thus private carriages, the carts of
farmers, the wagons Of manufacturers,
and the gigs or spring carts Of Shopkeepe
may be used for the conveyance of voters
u heg are teHt jpad .Hde, WithOm payment or
he promise ~ plgDbeat. Moreover, it Ia ex.
pressly provided that such use of a
vehicle shall not 81 Hsoif render the owner
liable to pay duty or take out license, or
destroy any exemption which he enjoys
in respect of such vehicle.
BANDS, FLAGS AND BADGES.
No payment, or contract for payment,
may be made before, during or after the
election Tor the purpose OF promoting or
procuring the election OF u candidate on
account Of bands of music, torches, flags,
banners, cOckades, ribbons, or other marks
of distinction
such payment or contract by whom
soeyer made, is an Wtgul pdyple,d and if
made by the candidate or his election
agent. ar by suoHgent in the polling
district for which lie l. sub.asenL ii is au
'i'Ha' bfdcticc which may void the cleo
lion.
The phrase "other marks of distinction
would probably be held to include any
Kind OF purity badge sUCn, Z. G., as medal
ar even selected Hover intended to be
worn or carried rs an external and public
symbol Vt adherence to the cause of a par
tiCu0r candidate.