Middletown transcript., 1896-11-28
kIDDLETowN. DEL. NOV. %. 1896
CONVENTION AND TEMPERANCE

The Convention to frame New
Constitution for Delaware will meet in
Dover next Tuesday and unfortunately
the election of the delegation from
Kent county is still in dispute. It will
be a misfortune if the delegates from
New Castle and Sussex have to pass
upon the eligibility of the Kent county
contestants, since the matter would
probably partake more or less of part
isanship. Such, however, is the situa-
tion and such 1t will be unless the
courts settle the matter before Decem-
Der 1st.
The temperance people in the State
look upon this as an opportunity to SO
fix the temperance question that they
may be able to get a hearing in the
State, or for vote for local option.
Forty or fifty years ago the courts
passed upon some form of a local op-
tion law and declared it unconstitu-
tional. By means Of that decision the
friends of temperance have been un-
able to get the question submitted to
the people again. Politicians have held
up that decision as scare crow for
years. In the minds of able attorneys
there has been no doubt of the con-
stutionality of local option and not
much doubt..of the courts sustainin
it had it been brought before them.
With the experience of the past in
mind the friends Of temperance are
moving to get recognition through the
Constitutional Convention. The Della
ware State Temperance Alliance for
Sussex County though Capt. John r.
Price, of Lewes, has put in circula tion
the following petition:
To the Honorable Members of the
Constitutional Convention: Gentlemen:
We, the undersigned citizens and
voters of :
hundred, county, in the
State of Delaware, hereby earnestly
petition you to provide clause in the
New Constitution which will allow the
people to determine, by vote, whether
or not intoxicating liquors shall be
manufactured and sold as beverage
in the State of Delaware, or in any
county, or in any part thereof.
This is not partisan question and
politics should in no way enter into it.
1t probably will not. The Sussex dele
cation is non-partisan, five Republic
cans and five Democrats. In New Cas-
tie County the Prohibition Ticket en-
dorsed nominees for the Convention on
the other tickets. A comparison of the
vote cast is interesting. They endorsed
five Republicans, three Democrats and
two Union Republicans. Four of the
Republicans and the three Democrats
were elected but the temperance vote
cut small figure in the election. The
delegates elected and the votes re-
ceived by each are as follows:
Martin B. Burris, 12,765; William
c. Spruance, 12,250; Elias N. Moore,
II. 200; Edward G.. Bradford, 12,105;
Andrew L. Johnson, 1855; John P.
Donahoe, 10, $50; John Biggs, 10. 225;
Robert G. Harmon, 10, ,1s4; Charles B.
Evans, 9,726; J. Wilkins Cooch, 9,722.
Mr.. Burris and Mr.. johnson were
each on four tickets, their two party
tickets and the Prohibition and Singled
Tax. Their vote shows that the Re
publicans combined cast over 100
more votes in the county than the
Democrats and they could have elected
their entire county ticket had they
united. The four first named are Re-
publicans, being on the two Republi-
can and the Prohibition tickets. Mr..
Donahoe, the sixth man, got the Single |
Tax vote but not the Prohibition vote.
Messrs. Biggs and Harman got the
Prohibition vote being on three tickets. |
Messrs. Evans and Coocb, the two
lowest, were not endorsed by any save |
the Democrats and the Honest Money
Democrats. The Prohibition candid |
ate for Governor received in the county
346 votes and the candidate for Con-
gress 256. Their endorsement of the |
delegates to the convention appears to |
have averaged but little more than 200
to the successful delegates, the votes
being scattered among the candidates.
Such is the strength of the Prohibition
Party as party but it in no way in
dicates the strength Of the temperance
sentiment in the county or State.
WHAT OF THE FUTUREs