Evening journal., 1896-11-18
EMERGENCY JUSTIFIED 1T.


bers Of the Board Of Canvass of Kent
county cannot be guaged by the ordi-
nary rules applied TO the measurement
of the conduct Of public officials. II
must be considered as an action called
forth by an emergency which threat
ened the county with most deplorable
results. 1t was designed TO meet and
stamp out conspiracy which threat
ened the liberties and properties Of a
large community of persons, and as
such, It was highly commendable asac-
complishing an end unattainable by the
ordinary processes of law.
It is stated by men who are in po-
sition to know a great deal about the
electorate of Kent county, that out of
3,414 votes cast for the Union Repub-
llcan candidate for governor, from l.
500 to 1 800 were negroes, many of
whom were bought, and 1,10O or 1900
white voters who were purchased to
vote the ticket. This leaves but 500 or
600 white Addicks voters in the county
free from the reproach Of having sold
their political convictions to the high
est bidder.
This was the condition which con-
fronted the decent and patriotic people
of the midland county, and the one
which they took the opportunity to
meet and suppress. 1t was an earnest
effort on their part to save the affairs
of the county from the hands of con-
spirators who had used most lawless
and corrupting methods to secure con-
troll of them.
Imagine q Levy Court, the financial
body Of the county, and having vested
within itself the right to make assess
ments, fix tax rates, name grand and
petit jurors, and to perform all those
other duties which so closely affect the
personal and property interests of a
county, being composed of men whose
offices were bought for them. Further
than that, consider the jury boxes filled
with men who had sold their electoral
franchises, and who would be just as
likely to sell their verdicts. 1t would
be an awful state of affairs and public
safety would be almost destroyed.
Can anyone blame the people of the
county for taking a determined stand
against such possibilities? Can the
Addicks men expect our. courts to coun-
tenance and compound their felony
against the peace and security of oul
institutions, or to censure honest Demo
cratic inspectors who refused to count
and tabulate the votes of men who haC
been bought to deliver to a crowd o
conspirators the rights and interests o
their neighbors and fellow citi
zens? Our courts were de
signed to protect us against such dan
gers. and not to precipitate them ant
their consequences upon us.
For several weeks before the elec
tion il had been given out in both IN
lower counties that Addicks intended I
buy the voters thereof at sums rang
ing from s25 to $50 a voter. This wa
especially to secure a Legislator
which would send Addicks to tn
United States Senate. Just before th
election, certain lawsuits seemed
place him In financial conditio
which would be a bar TO the consun
nation of his purposes. Those citizens {
Kent who had hoped from this cause
have a legal and peaceable election
devoid of bribery and other illegI
methods, were destined to be disal
pointed. Shortly before the electiC
there was stir among the conspir
tors and 1t became known that amour
of money sufficient to override the vi
OF the honest voters of the two cOui
ties had arrived, and was ready to
put into use. The Addicks lieutenan
were soon hurrying and scurrying I
and down the state as though hum'
life were at stake, and were apparent
eager TO both buy and sell their brit
right and birthplace to a man who h;
no earthly claim upon either
The election came on, and for on
lawry this state has never witness
the like, and we trust the like W
never again be witnessed within
borders. In one district no election W
held because the Union Republics
Judge prevented the clerk from givi
out tickets to the voters who appli
for them. In others the voters ASST
ants were used as a means OF verifyi
the contracts for votes made on t
outside. Free rum and bribery we
rampant. In this manner the Uni
Republican party inaugurated its a
pearance as a candidate for the 81
frages Of the people. Hundreds OF I
groes were promised pay for the
votes, but have never received a. ce
The party managers even descended
the meanness OF cheating these igI
rant and venal voters.
These are the men who are cryi
out that a great wrong has been dc
by the Democratic Board of Canvass
Kent county in throwing out the d
tricts where their illegal methods w
practiced All the evidence, circu
stantial and otherwise, shows Il
+hrouphouf fna antirp contest III