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

the "Election Guide" prepared by II. H.
Aisquith, British Home Secretary, show
iug the guards thrown out to prevent
corruption of the suffrage at elections in
that country.
THE ELECTION AGENT AND sUB-AGENTs.
The new law starts from the principle
that indiscriminate and uncontrolled eS-
penditure is the main source of electoral
corruption. Its aim throughout is not
merely to prevent expenditure for color !.
able or corrupt objects, but to impose a
rigid limit upon the amount which may
lawfully be spent for any purpose what Z
ever connected with the conduct or man
agement of an election. To ensure the
possibility Of success it was necessary to
vest the exclusive power OF spending
money for or on behalf OF the candidate
in single responsible person. whose name
and address should be advertised to the
whole constituency, who should be
necessary party to every contract entered
into or payment made from the beginning
to the end Of the contest, who should be
bound to keep written evidence OF every
penny spent, and who should, after the
election was over, be required to transmit
TO the returning officer, for publication to
the world, detailed account OF the candl-
dates expenditure.
Such q person is the election agent, with
out whom no electoral contest can now be
conducted, and upon whose fitness for his
post and understanding of his duties the
interests of the candidate and the party
will henceforth be largely dependent. lhe
choice of an incompetent or runtrustworthy
man for the post may vitlate the most sue
cessful election, Cor it must never be for
gotten that the candidate is responsible in
peculiar sense for the acts of his election
agent. Even the minor offences oil illegal
payment, hiring or employment, which II
committed by an ordinary agent only SUD-
iect the guilty person to line, constitute,
when committed by the election agent.
iHegaJ practices phich lgW impeTit The scat. IL
a coyyuDt practice is committed by the cleo
ton agent, the seat is necessarily volded
and the Court cannot exercise in favor OF
the candidate the dispensing power vested
in il. Nor can the Court exercise that
power if an illegal practice is committed
| by the election agent.
APPOINTMENT OF ELECTION AGENT.
The first step in the actual work of
contested election ought always to be the
appointment, by or on behalf OF the candl;
| date, of an election agent. The name and
address of the election agent must be de-
clared in writing to the returning officer,
on or before the nomination day, by the
| candidate or some person on his behalf.
and the returning officer is forthwith to
| give public notice Of the agents name and
address.
A candidate may name himself an cleo
| tion agent.
The powers and duties of an election
agent begin with his appointment, and
come to am end, in the natural course of
things, when he has sent III his return Of
expenses and the accompanying deelara-
| tions, which he is required to do within
50 days after the election.
,,g,,,,n ,,npFss or rtrcTIoN AGENT AMI
sI,R-AGENTs.
.,,t /, ..,,,,;uo5 q, ,,o,,a.,
nv etcetioti bS as ~ - ,L;oI, I'll
ounce at nAeu 's;tl "Gai ,,,onsas ~ s,d
It",, ln'',,,, i, raIat;on Ia the election NAV
documents III telaVioh " 'he e'eoti'il i"Sy
DE sent; ..,,,.,,, o,,1rassaa on,
Al docuhehts propetig auSteSseu os ~ si,e, IL
deilvereu az 'le p,'t an Jao,,,,f ~,
electlon agent pE sno-aSelit HiS , eehiSa ~ ~
nave oeeh uuiy oii eie', y, snau, ~ "
the purpose OF peills sueu . II fespecS u
any matter Goiiiteseu VIZ S,,,aJ ~ ~
the agent ana supaseiis - ar ee1u iiinas w re s
t,'4 siuu ~ Aete ''-s't
. ,-,,,.,,,, ,,,,,,r ,,.,,,,,,.
DUTIES VI ~
NO one Du1 tilt ~. ~ ~, ny is
cieetioh agent iac!hs ns iillA9eil VI uy nia
suh,aEents) can Dlhu tile cali.,iaueg ny my
GoitTuct NiGtopy IL 'l, " ~
account or III EespeeI oi the SoiluuIS 49,, VI
management oi 'h clecV!oi' = oHi,si az. s,St
naue W any uthet ne.iS Il iaVo a,,Si' /,
~ H. oIaatom If II invoi,a a cor
rnSt or iIleral practice,
" rnvr..,,t or ADVANCE. or tleDosit NAV
bc made bv the candidate himself, or by
al his AGENTS. or by any other person
twiirh lnsL term includes an association oi
,o,lv ~ personsl for election expenses
,,,.co,,t Nv nr through the election agent
Snrti,,t, Nv himself or bv Il sub.agent)
EJ,IrtEnr iii money riven or lent by any
tar.,,,,, oti,cr than 'tbe candidate to provide
Ep, ninnfinn eynpnses. must be pai1 either
~ ti,o candidate himself or to his election
,,,-o,,t
'Srn' ,,iolotn this rule is an Hleqag practice.
,,l,;nb n Fcnn,mitted nv aDV Gggnt of the
,,i;ri,t. ,,,,,,, avo;i tbe eiection and nv
.'.I,naSs1o,,ar ;nnimitted il punishable bv
I'tifronI;sennrnt for tiye wears.
i''iS, E,sr,, .," navmcnf made bv an election
,,'f ~ lt.,b.a,sent which amounts to. OF
,sScaoIs ms fSiOUD0 mnst be youched fol
So. Xii stntina the particulars. and by Z
!,'';,,,
~ ,-,,,,,o,, ,,xn,>.s,s
THE eoNl lf'St LihN w "a fNs"9'
The lawful expenses AZ IN electloh ar'
limited by the new law IN Two Wavs-wltI
respect to thelf amount ana WIN respec'
to their OBJECT Inc expenditure ot can
Gidntc must nor, as q whole, exceed th'
scale prescribed by the act. ana every
item III u must pc cohhheu 70 purpose'
winch the law does NOT pTohlplt'
THE MAXIMUM SCALE.
No slm may he paid and no expenses in
,,nrrpd Inv n candidate or his election agent
whether before, during, or after an elec
lion, on account or in respect of the con