Delaware gazette and state journal. (Wilmington, Del.) 1883-1902, 1896-12-10


the Union Republican patty 10 this
state bas been and is recognized by
the National Republican Committee 0f
the Republican party as the represen-
tatiye or that party in this State, and
also by the clerks OF the peace Of the
several counties OF tho State, the selec-
tion must be made from that political
party and from the Democratic party.
otherwise there would be sufficient
grounds for throwing out tho vote Of
every hundred and election district
where the selection was not tbue made.
Robert q. White,
Attorney General. -
=. That there were no returns from
West Dover hundred before The alleged
hoard of canvass. That q majority of
the election officers assuming that the
persons acting as such, officers were
legally elected or appointed) Of said
hundred refused to make and sign any
certificate certifying the result OF the
alleged election in that hundred, be-
cause by the open and notorious cor
ruption, bribery and fraud practiced at
the polling place in said hundred and
participated in by the voters, assistant
other than the Democratic yoters'
assistant the election Ii. said hundred
was mere auction, rendering. it i'm
possible to ascertain the EXPRESSION OF
the popular will in that hundred.
That the same corrupt condition of
things prevailed in the other OF said
above named hundreds and election dis
tricts.
3. That in soms Of the above named
election districts and hundreds. the
ballot boxes were opened during the
progress of the election contrary to law.
That the bribery and corruption
practiced in the above named hundreds
and election districts on tho day OF tho
last election, together with numerous
violations of tho plain provisions Of the
election laws which then and there
took place, were SO omen and notorious
as to render the shameful character
and conduct OF those alleged elections
unprecedented in the history OF this
county, and to make it manifest that
their results were the direct fruits of
this Wholesale fraud and corruption.
And further, that these said gIaring
violations OF the laws of this State
against bribery and corruption were
the outcome of q conspiracy entered into
some time prior TO the late election by
certain members of the Union Repub-
lican party, to the end that the will of
the people OF this county might be
alfectually suppressed.
That the said facts set forth were SO
open and notorious as to DO matters nf
general knowledge among the people
OF the entire county.
That the said respondents being cog
INFANT OF all the facts narrated, did
not sign certificates representing the
results OF such corrupt and fraudulent
elections for the reason that it would
be giving their sanction and support
to the disreputable agencies by which
they were brought about, and for the
further reason that 1t did not appear
to your respondents from the reading
of the returns that the alleged certfi-
Gates from the said election districts
and hundreds were signed by the
officers of election, a. majority
thereof, of said respective districts.
And your respondents did not exam
inc the said papers purporting to be
certificates OF election for the said
several districts and cannot say
whether said papers purporting to be
certificates of election were or were not
| signed or were in due form.
Your respondents further return and
| answer as to the second and third para
graphs OF section of the petition in
corporated in the said writ of man
damus, that Thomas Mccoy, one of
| the persons named, was duly an
| pointed inspector OF election for the
| Eastern Election district of Duck Creek
| hundred, but as to the other persons
named in the said third paragraph
of said section 4, they deny that they
were either elected or duly appointed
inspectors for the hundreds or election
districts respectively for which they
are therein named, that is to say
There was no law authorizing the elec-
tion OF such officers, and they were not
duly appointed by the Levy Court
Commissioners OF their respective hun
dreds, nor were they chosen by the
electors present at the opening of the
polls on the morning Of the election,
| November I'd, 1896.
That said respondents admit the
statement Of the votes cast for each
\ person voted for as enumerated in sec
ton of said petition, so far as they
relate TO the votes received for each
person voted for in Western Election
district of Duck Crock hundred, in
kenton hundred, il Little Creek hun.
dred, in tho Third Election district Of
East Dover hundred, in the Western
Election district of North Murderkill
hundred, IN Election district No. OF
South MurderlSill hundred. and in
Election districts Nos. and 9 OF Mis-.
pillion hundred, but deny the state
ments of the votes alleged to have boon
cast and received for the rcspectiyo
persons voted for in the remaining
election districts rs set forth in said
section because no returns were or
could have been made from those elec.
tion districts for the ruasonB sot forth
in this return.
The respondents further make re-.
turn and say that thoy deny so much
Of section of said petition as relates
to tho total votes ana pluralities re.
ceiVed for the persons hamad in said
section but aver that the total vote and
pluralities received for each person
named are as follows:
Hore follows an enumeration of the
total votes and p!uralitios % received
by the various candidates for Senator,
Assemblymen, Sheriff. Coroner, County
Treasurer, Levy Court Commissioners
and Delegates TO the Constitutional
Convention
Your respondents therefore answer
that Samuel Il. Meredith, benjamin
a. Hazel, William Il. Davis, Rpbert
II. Wilson, Leander S. HOPKINS.
Charles M. Adams, james A. Martsn,
Joseph ii. Hopkins, William Viruen,
William Ii. Beathartls Joshua NJ,
| Arthura Jatnas ~ Trra., Io,,,, A