Delaware gazette and state journal. (Wilmington, Del.) 1883-1902, 1895-01-24
WELLINGTON, THURSDAY, jan. "a
Must BIO Upheld by All GOOD Citizens.


y Whatever laws may be passed by the
Legislature to secure thorough freedom
and fairness at elections, and to punish
all attempts at fraud upon the ballot,
must largely depend upon the thorough
sympathy and cooperation Of the people
for their successful enforcement. The
people who are interested in the purity
Of our elections, and desire to see them
made full and undoubted expression
of the popular will, must not only live
up to the requirements of honest election
laws, but must give every moral aid to
their enforcement and to the punishment
of those who violate their provisions in
any way.
1t must be apparent to all who have
noticed the recent attempts to punish
violations of our existing election laws,
that partisanship too often finds its way
into the jurybox and defeats the ends
of justice. Men who, in ordinary crimi.
nal trials would carefully consider the
evidence and render a verdict in ac-
cordance with the facts presented, have
disregarded all save the most partisan
considerations in trials Of political
offenders, and voted for the conviction
of Democrat or the acquittal of Re-
publican, or vice versa, according to
their political beliefs and the political
bearings of the case.
While both parties have been guilty
of this astounding partisanship, the Re
publicans have been more especially
and persistently guilty. A jury OF
which Democrats were drawn once con.
victed a leading Democratic Official
who was accused of so conducting the
business of his office as to disfranchist
Republican voters. There have been
several instances of contested election
cases before a Democratic City Council
where the majority declined to give
tself absolutely over to the partisan
slaims of Democratic parties to the
contest, and decided the cases accord
ng to the right and the law.
On the other hand, there have beer
rails in our county courts of Repub
lican offenders who were indicted fol
creating riot and disorder at the polls
but who were saved by the partisan
stand taken by Republicans who sat on
the juries, and who resolutely refused
to vote for conviction in the face OF thu
most positive testimony. And the las
contested election case arising in the
City Council resulted in unseating {
Democrat and seating a Republican
upon testimony SO tlimsy and from sucl
an unreliable and thoroughly disreput
able witness, that it would have beer
laughed out of any court of justice ii
the land.
These things should not be, and i
they continue the effect of any law de
signed to secure free, fair and peaceabl
elections will be completely nullified
The law should be upheld, no matte
how partisan interests may suffer. II i
as much of miscarriage of Justice t
shield the political offender, who's
offence has been clearly established, a
to allow the burglar or the murderer t
go free. One class of crimes is as muc
danger to free institutions and the in
terests of the people as the othel
Crimes against the ballot should pecu
liarly appeal to the sense of justice tina
all good citizens should entertain, an
feelings of partisan passion should nc
be permitted to interfere to the extent c
saving the offenders from swift and SUI
punishment.