Middletown transcript., 1896-04-04
prRuKFsIrs FRIENDs.

REBUKES IFS FRIENDS.
The "Evening Journal. of the 31st
ult. rebuked its political friends in
Kent aud Sussex in the following man
ner:
"Political HISTORY has demonstrated
that a party which, for the sake of OBJ
tanning a temporary advantage, resorts
to dishonesty, short cuts and evasions,
and places itself on the defensive before
the public, loses much more thereby
than it would were 1t to pursue
straightforward, honest course along
the lines which naturally radiate from
the great principles of polity which un-
derlie its organization.
Parties are responsible for their
chosen agents at the bar of public
opinion just as individuals are respon-
sible for their agents in the ordinary
legal tribunal, and the verdict hangs
largelyupon theconduct of those agents.
It is all very we'll for man tosay that
he votes for principals and measures
rather than for men, but we must lose
sight Of the fact that it requires good
men to live up to good principals, and
create and enforce good measures.
We do not believe that the Demo-
cratic party will gain any lasting ad-
vantage by the reported actions of the
clerks of the peace of Kent and Sussex
counties. Indeed, it is doubtful whether
even temporary advantage will ac-
crue to the party as result of their
actions. They have placed the party
in a position where it car neither JUS
tify its agents or itself. They have sue
ceeied in keeping handful of Repub'
licans from being assesse d ,and thereby
deprived them of the right of franchise;
but, have they and their advi sers con-
sidered the consequences?
The public likes manly party just
as it likes a manly man, and does not
give it's moral support to a party whose
agents run and secrete themselves,
when they ought to stand out in the
open, and defend the principles of that
party which placed them in a position
Of trust and responsibility.
We believe that the action of the
two men referred to will cost the party
more votes than they imagine. and
that, in the long run, the Republicans
will cap the benefit of an ill-advised
scheme to help the Democrats.
Our party has control of the Levy
Courts in all three counties, together
with the election machinery which
goes with them. Such power should
have beer sufficient to protect the
party interests in proper manner
without having to resort to means for
which the party must stand before the
public in position of humble apology
and with no reasonable excuse to offer.
Last election we had the East. Dover
hundred tax collector escapade. Did
we gain any ing advantagep Not a
particle. 1t was one of the best cam
paign documents put out by the Re
publican managers, and made votes all
over the state. Now we have the
Kent and Sussex county managers
playing more trump cards into the
hands of their opponents. and furnish
ing them with material for the franz
ing of an indictment to which the party
all over the state must plead guilty.
We do not mean to say that the men
who were left off the books should |
have been put on. We know nothing |
of their age or residence, or of the |
vouchers that they produced in support
of their claims of citizenship, but we
do say that the action of the clerks of |
the peace in absenting themselves from |,
their posts of duty will do more to con-
vince the public that the men were en-
titled to be put on the books than col
umn after column of Republican argu-
ment to like effect"