The Wilmington daily Republican. (Wilmington, Del.) 1890-1902, 1896-08-11
A Conference In jail.


Mr.. EDIToR:-Mr A. Fl. Stephenson
chairman of the Single Tax Campaign
Committee and one Of the Prisoners in th'
Dover Jail was visited at the jail Satur
day evening by Jackson II. Raj ton and
Harold Sudell, the other members Of thu
campaign committee and few othel
Single Tax leaders, an informal confer
ence was held and it was decided to dis
continue the meetings in Dover pending
the decision of Chancellor Nicholson on
tho writ of habeas corpus which was ar
gued last night.
Should the writ be denied another writ
OF habeas corpus will BIZ taken out before
the United States Court ut Wilmington.
In this event 1t is probable the suspension
OF the meetings will be continued until
that court has announced its decision.
| Mr. Ralston held before the chancellor
| that the charter and ordinances Of Dover
are unconstitutional in that they grant
summary and final jurisdiction to the
alderman In violation OF the State consti-
| tuition, which prescribes the offences in
which summary and final jurisdiction
may be conferred on magistrates by the
Legislature, the offences with which we
are charged, NOISY and disorderly assem-
biage" and Obstructing the streets and
sidewalks. not being among those enurner-
ated.
He also held that the charges had not
been properly preferred and that there
had been no opportunity to plead nor Of
fer proper defense.
Should the writ of habeas corpus fail,
both before the Chancellor and tho United
States Court, the MAN contention will
remain unsettled
We tclaim that the Alderman erred in
his Interpretation of the charter and that
the error was SO tlagrant as to virtually
destroy the rights Of citizens to the proper
of thn fIhis W raw
ed on the writ of habeas corpus in case tho
jurisdiction of the magistrate be affirmed.
In this event we will be right where we
started and the merry war will go right
OH.
We Will resume our street meetings and
obey the law negatively by submitting TO
the penalty imposed by the Magistrate, re,
lying on public opinion to force the
authorities to correct the fragrant error 4
they have made In tho Interpretation. Of
the laws.
We are not attempting to override the
laws of Dover we are proresting against
IN error" (O in Interpretation OF the laws
which is malicious and uni niustifiable,
which is made for the express purpose Of
crushing out u political party.
Now we are threatened with another
kind Of persecution. Baniah Watson, So |
licitor of Dover, has publicly stated thnt
no more arrests will be made that the |
matter Is IN the nanuS oil the citizens"
This is u plain invitation to the mob to |
do violence to our speakers and carries tho |
implication that members of the mob will |
enjoy immunity from arrest; an implica-
tiUn that is confirmed by the fact that no
attempt was made to protect our speakers |
from the mob last Wednesday night,
though the officers We're present.
In arguing the case before tho elnaneel-
lor last night Edward Ridgley, who ap-
pcarcd for the town of Dover, said, .'If |
the law fail to protect society, society
will protect itself" We regard this as
an invitation to the mob in case the chan
crllor besides in our favor and as an at.
tempt to buldoze the chancellor.
But neither police nor mobs, nor any
other thing shall deter us from maintain.
ing our rights and doing the work which
is given lis to do.
Not for ourselves alone, but for our
constituents In the sweat shops and in the
tenement for those whose hope is in our
hands, in tho asylum, in the brothel, for
our brother the burglar for our sister tho
outcast.
"Oncc more into the breach doar friends
once more" II. E. TAwREsEY.