The Wilmington daily Republican. (Wilmington, Del.) 1890-1902, 1896-09-14
DISGRACEPUL
PRIMARIES.
Democratic Police Helped Riot
and 0ebluchay.
Chief Dolan's Office A Flu eau Of
Information and Workers and
Officers Found Instruc.
ton There.
The Most DisgracstuI Nomination
Delaware Has Ever Had,
Ballot Boxes Were Stolen, Others
Smashed and Others Stuff.
ed, While the Police
Looked en-.
0lckey Pyle and MaaIsy The NOmi.
nses. Probably a Contest.

The Police Department of Wilmington
from the ordinary officer to the highest Of.
fetal, participated in tho Democratic nom.
ination election Of Saturday aiding John
Pyle and John IT, Dickey in their political
trickery and debauchory to capture the
nominations Of State Senator and repre-.
sentatives. Whether the fact had the effect
Of transforming what would have been
q quiet and orderly nomination into the
most dsgraceful contest for political pre-
ferment this city or State has ever seen
can only be determined by the fact that
the contest was such.
Democratic ballot ibox. .stuffers and
heeler5 had the protection of the police,
and consequently there were many out
breaks of Indignation on the part Of the
few honest Democrats who had gone to
the polls to uphold the purity of the bal.
lot. Rowdies conducted matters to suit
themselves and tho police allowed tho
riotous conduct to go unchecked. Tho
police violated the spirit and letter Of tho
| act which makes the general Body non.
partisan. They got their instructions
from Chief Dolan, who had turned his
Office into q bureau Of political informa.
ton. Officers came and went at the
bidding of their chief who was seconded
by John Pyle himself and several Others
Of the faithful.
1t was disgraceful to tho extreme and
such contest that has called forth de.
nuncation from even the bctter element
Of the Democratic party. A fair vote or
fair count were not intended. Pyle had
the backing of the police force by virtue
of his fathering the bill creating the pres
| ent department and win be must oven
| though it took box stuiling to do IL. And
| that end was resorted to- Some tough
| carried the Sixth ward box from the Every
| Evening Office where the executive com.
tina, eli nd
covered it Is probable that 1t will be re-
| turned with 800 more votes than there arc
| voters in tho ward
| In tho fight which followed the glass
doors in tho office were broken. Then
the members became Disguised and left.
1t is not known what the outcome Of
the matter will be, but it is expected that
the County Committee will have u num-
Der of protests to hear in short time.
1t may DO possible that the whole cleo
ton Will be thrown out and another one
hold but there has been nothing done on
that line yet.
Probably the strongest fight was be-
tween John Pyle and Thomas N. Stayton.
| Pyle had tho backing Of the police, Bar.
machine" But the police proved the
| greater power and Stayton Is sore.
| The Republican momber of tho force,
| of course, were not engaged in the w rk
and it is extremely doubtful if police
officer of that political faith would be
allowed to work at Il Republican nomin-
alton election. There the non partisan
| provisions of the police bill would be en-
forced. OF course money was used but 1t
went into tho Golfers OF those of the faith.
full who conduC5 saloons and who filled
| their customers to the ghins with that
which caused fights, where there would
have boon none, had the condition Of body
and mind been different. Thoy drank
then went to the polls to see that their
respective sides got square deal, and
from the returnsit appears that even moro
than that deal was secured.
| While politicians were comforting in tn
| station house, tOughs in front of the build
ing were spelling for fight. 1t was
claimed by the Pyle men rs an off set
against the charge that tho police wero
working for Pyle that Willard salisbury
was back of Stayton with the Wilmington
City Railway Company's influence, but
this was alleged by tho other side to be
based wholly upon the fact that salisbury
Ia tho vice president Of the company and
that at tho last session of the General As.
sembly, Pyle opposed the railway COM
pany.
turns were also stolen The trouble began
when Theodore Collins presented Lis bal
lot. VIM. Hayes wanted the man to vote
but Michael Gillespie objected. A wordy
quarrel ensued and blows were finally re-
sorted to- While this was in progress
some one smashed the box and the ballots
were strcwn over the floor, but in some
unaccountable way they reached tho OK.
ecutive committee and were counted.
In the fourth ward two boxes were be-
ing used and fight ensuod after an 1T
tempt was made to obtain ono of them.
Here officer Kelley appeared with his re-
volver but hcclcr took 1t away from
him and empted its contents into the
coling of tho room.
The returns ARE incomplete, but it is un-
derstOol the nominees of the party are as
follows:
State Senator, John Pyle, Wilmington.
Observation-Disclosures r. Dlckoy, vii.
min gton Robert Mccullough, Christiana;
David X. Donaldson, White Clay Creek
Charles Dempsey, Mil Creek; Woodward
5. Chcars Red Lion; William B. Mccoy,
New Castle; Richard L. Naudainc, Apo,
qunirnink.
County Commissioners-Firs district
John Fl. Walker; second, no nominations;
third John J. Mealcy; fourth, Harry
White; fifth, VIM. A. Scott.
Tho figures in connection with the vote
cast on Saturday are interesting. The to-
tai vote cast for candidates for senator
was 6i75, and tho total vote for represon.
!
missing The total vote at the Democrat
ic primaries in 1872 was 1871 and the total
vote ut the election GbS The total vote
at the primaries in lSD! was 1881, and tho
total vote at the election 656. The total
vote at tho election In 1925 was 1861. The
vote us recorded Oh Saturday was 6476,
which was within 143 of the high water
7otc ut the election Of 1892 The vote at
the primary election for sheriff this year
was $685..
For senator there was total vote of 6f75
and for representative 59Ds, n difference of
4S9, and yet every one was supposed to vote
for both officers.
Dlckoy and Stayton were supposed to
be running mates. yot Stayton was de.
feated, having received 2l3l votes less than
Dickey Pyle and johnson wore also sup.
posed to be running matos, yet johnson
was defeated, having received 1859 votes
less than Pyle. Tho politicians say that
these figures are the most wc1derful
record Of scratching" ever heard Of.
Willard Salisbury Is ashamed of the
contest. He refused to be interv lowed
this morning, but declared himself for q
fair and honest count and would not hest.
tate to mako any correction that was
proper.
NEITHER WOULD TALK.
Thomas N Stayton. tho defeated candi.
date for the State Stnatorship, was met in
the Office of Willard salisbury by RE-
PUBLICAN reporter this morning, but
would not say whether he would contest
the nomination Of John Pyle. Mr.. Sauls.
bury would say nothing outside Of the
fact that tho Democratic County Com.
mttee would meet tomorrow afternoon
and at that time decide whether another
election would BIO held.
| ------------
| Hurt His Side.
Darby Toghcr was admitted to the Del.
aware Hospital at noon to-day suffering
from injuries received while at work az
Second and Jackson streets. Togher Is d
carpenter and was assisting In taking up
Li, a.