Middletown transcript., 1896-11-14
nDDLETowN. DEL, NOV. II, 1896
ELECTION RETURNS.

MDDLEToWN, DEL, NOV. Il, 1896
ELECTION RETURNS.
Never before in this State have ef-
forts SO far reaching been made to steal
elections. In New Castle county the
special objects were the seating of
John T. Dickey over some other DEM
ocrat and the defeat Of the Republican
Sheriff and Receiver of Taxes. The
method used was TO change the figures
In the returns. For instance in the
Second Precinct in Middletown for
sheriff Mr.. Toman received 119 votes
and Mr.. Finn 100. According to the
figures given out by '.Every Evening"
these were read on Return Day 169
votes for Toman and 80 votes for Finn
change Of 100 votes though the to-
tails were the same in each case, 219.
BY these methods Mr.. Flinn's majority
of 1160 was cut down to 1872.
Fortunately Mr.. Dickey had to wrong
Democrat to gain his object and thus
his contest comes within the lines Of
the party in power. BY the same
methods of altering figures Mr.. Dickey
who by the unofficial figures was the
lowest man on the Democratic legisla-
tive ticket was raised to the place of
third highest and Mr.. woodward W.
Chearis of Delaware City th ough third
from tie lowest was counted out be-
ing made the lowest. Fortunately Mr..
Cheairs knows his rights and is deter
mined to have them. He will contest
before the General Assembly and being
a Democrat his party cannot turn him
down as they could Republican. Our
readers will understand that one Dem
ocrat for the Legislature was defeated
by Mr.. ]. Frank Eliason who received
the votes Of both the Republicans and
the Union Republicans and his major
ity was SO large that Mr.. Dickey could
not count him out. 1t is the duty Of
the Attorney General to prosecute
every man guilty of fraud upon the |
ballot.
Upon our first page will be found the
result of the returns made in Kent
county. Upon one side is the Republi- |
can count giving all the votes cast in
the county save that of West Dover
hundred which the Inspector would |
not read and which being read would |
not change the totals. This shows the |
election of the whole Republican
ticket. Upon the other side the DEM
ocratic count where returns from two
precincts in Dover, one in Camden,
one In Frederick, and two in Milford,
were thrown out upon the slimmest ex-
cuses, and thereby the Democrats are
counted in by DISTINGUISHING half the
county. This is an outrage upon the
ballot that no people can afford to
make. The use of money at the cleo
tion is the excuse for this wrong.
There is law against bribery and it
should be enforced but Delaware
should abide by her elections. As mat
ters stand everything is uncertain in
Kent county. Governor Watson has
issued no certificates Of election, appar-
emily being undecided as to his duty in
the matter. There will be contests
and cases in the courts. The Levy
Court of Kent selected and swore in
the Assessors for the several hundreds
who upon the face of the returns were
elected.
There will be special session of the
Supreme Court Of Kent county at
Dover on Thursday next calling upon
the Inspectors to show cause why they
should not count the vote as cast. It
is believed that the frauds upon the
ballot can be reached through the
courts. /.
In Sussex there appears 10 have been ,
fair election, as elections go, and the
being beaten there was I
fair count. The Republicans elect the
Sheriff and two members of the Levy
Court who with the holding over mem /
bers will constitute majority. There
has been talk of contest in Sussex
for the whole ticket and the setting up
Of trump" Legislature for the pur-
pose of electing Mr.. Addicks to the i
Senate. This is denied and it could I
not stand for day before the q. s.
Senate. Rumor also credits Mr.. Willis
with the intention of contesting Mr..
Handy's election to Congress. Un- q
1oubtedly many Republicans were de- :
prived Of ballot by methods SO long !
n use in this State, but it would seem =
like big undertaking to overcome t
Mr. Handy's majority. Such contest
would bring before the country, how :
'ver, the peculiar political methods {
lsed in Delaware and some good might i
,e done thereby. 9
Nor citizen of Delaware but must b
,egret that the election did not t
;lose the political campaign. The p
weeks and months of contest before
be election were enough, and to have +
he matter continued in the way of 8
ontested elections is an afliction. t