Middletown transcript., 1896-10-24
AN Address TO VOTERS.

& The Kent county Republican Committe
Clark NJ. Mensch, Chairman, and Frank ]
Davis, Secretary, ,-last week issued the fc
lowing address to voters:
/ It is deemed important that more gener
publicity should be given to the actio
taken by the County Convention of the R
publican Party held at Dover on the 30t
day Of September, in pursuance of ca
that had been. previously issued. An
with that view the duty devolves on US
present to the voters of Kent county SOM
of the causes that have rent the part
asunder in this State. We therefore offe
this address for their consideration.
The County Convention was called
carry out the principles which were full
set forth in the resolutions adopted by th
State Convention held at Georgeto wn OF
the 10th of July. 1886. Among these reso
lutions was the following
I'VE denounce the long continued use o
"money for the bribery of voters as Grim
'sagainst the fundamental principles of an,
form of popular self-gogernment. As
"dlshonors and disgraces the State, we cal
upon the Constitutional Convention tt
..'give its first consideration TO the suppress
'.sion of this gross and growing evil"
1t would be useless to attempt to concea
the fact that the two predominant parties
in this State have for many years used
larger amounts of money at and before
elections than were necessary to conduc
the political campaign in a legitimate way
but never before to our knowledge has thi,
been done by an individual with the un
derstanding and avowed purpose of fur.
nishing the funds. for wholesale system
of bribery, to secure to himself as result
of success, the election to an Office which
has been held of the highest honor and
dignity. Never has it been conceived to be
possible in this State, that claim should
be set for this or any other iigh office on
the ground of the claimant having made
large contribution 10 the funds of party
for disreputable purposes.
We would recall to the attention of the
Republican voters of this county thes
that were enacted in the joint meetings OF
the last Legislature. convened for the pur-
pose of electing United States Senator.
The Republicans had clear majority in
joint session, and it was reasonable to ex-
pect that the differences existing in th 9
views of the members, as to the choice of a
Senator, would be reconciled or compro-
missed before the final adjournment. There
were three contestants, and the two repre-
senting more than two-thirds of the Re-
publican votes cast for Senator, consented
TO withdraw in favor Col. Henry A.
dupont, graduate of West Point. whose
record as soldier, as citizen and busi-
ness man, it is needless to say, is without
blemish. 1t was necessary that the votes
of the third contestant should be given to
the compromise candidate, in order to
insure him a majority of the General As
sembly on joint ballot, and by every prin-
ciple of honor and party fealty this would
have been at once conceded; but the Re-
publican majority were soon to learn that
lust for Office. and person al greed and vim
dictiveness counted for more with this
contestant and his few adherants,
than the higher motives that influence men
to yield their personal desires for the good
of the State. A combination was made by
this minority contestant and his clique,
with the Democratic members of the Legis-
lature, by which four of his adherents
would continne to vote for him, with the
understanding that Governor Watson
(holding that office by virtue of his having
been Speaker of the Senate at the death of
his predecessor) would resume his seat as
Senator on the convening of the two houses
in joint session and vote on the question of
electing US. Senator. By this means,
the only way of securing tie vote, the
attempt was made to defeat DUPONT, and
your State was thus deprived of full rep
in the U. s. Senate.
1t is needless to argue the question of
Governor Watson's right to vote as State
Senator while exercising the powers and
drawing the salary of the executive of the
State. No precedent is claimed for this
vet in the one hundred years Of our States
history, and whatever ambiguity there may
,e sn some articles of the State Constitu-
ion, Sec. 5 of Article is on this point
efficiently explicit to prove that its authors
never intended that any person should
40 Id two Offices the duties of which are
Sec. 8, to wit: "No men,
Der of Congress or any person holding any
,fice under the United States or this State,
hall exercise the Office of Governor" We
,elieve the moment Mr.. Watson took the
'ath of Office as Governor and entered upon
he executive duties, he ceased to hold the |
flee of Senator-and we further believe |
hat Col. Henry A. Dupont was elected |
|enator of the United States on the 9th day
# May, 1895, by the Legislature of Della
Vare and in this behalf we are sustained |
y the unanimous vote of the Republican
members Of the United States Senate. That |
10 was not seated was owing to the COM
ined vote of the Democratic and Populis-
c majority of one. The minority contestant |
vas in Washington during this time and
Vhen the vote was taken the result was |
telegraphed to his adherants in |
delaware as matterof mutual congratu-
alton and rejoicing.
In this same spirit of stubborness and
erversity, and utterly disregarding the ap-
eals Of the friends of Mckinley and Ho-
art for single electoral ticket in this
tate, the fair propositions made for mutual
by the candidates for electors
n the Republican ticket were rejected at
,e risk of defeat to the ticket.
Now the question arises-is this pesti en-
al influence to predominant in the Re-
ublican party? Are the strong and good
len who have supported and sustained the
Id party through many years past for the
I'VE they have borne it and its principles,
, accept the conditions Of success gained
y such ungodly means3 Are you willing
, condone crime, that you may gain some
olititical or personal advantage2 The
uestion comes right home to those who
pproye or ally themselves to the leader
ho supplies his money, or his agents who
n -